The School Breakfast Clubs Program gives students across the state access to free healthy food. Photo: Healthy Eating Advisory Service.
The Victorian Labor Government has followed in the footsteps of the former Queensland government led by Steven Miles by expanding free meals across Victorian state schools.
More than 1100 schools in Victoria are now part of the School Breakfast Clubs Program, which delivers free breakfasts to children while they’re at school.
The program also provides lunches, snacks and food packs for students in need. The meals are part of a partnership with Foodbank Victoria.
“Our free School Breakfast Clubs are giving busy families one less thing to worry about when they rush out the door in the morning,” Premier Jacinta Allan said. ”In a cost-of-living crisis, it’s just one way we can help make life a bit easier.”
The program’s availability to every government school in Victoria was made possible by a $21.1 million boost in the budget in addition to the $141.2 million invested in the scheme since 2016.
More than 100 schools have entered the program in the past year, with the number expected to expand by 50 by the middle of the year.
The government said the program provided more than half a million students with access to free breakfasts that fall within guidelines for healthy eating. The meals prioritise fresh and locally produced food, and menu options feature items such as cereals, fruit, soup and rice-based dishes.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll said: “Kids can’t learn on an empty stomach – that’s why, as part of a world-class education, we’re giving students a free, healthy breakfast before school every day in the Education State.”
The government said School Breakfast Clubs had served more than 50 million meals since the program’s inception. Also, cooking classes are hosted at some Victorian schools to help families prepare healthy food at home without breaking the bank. Some 140 schools have held the classes.
