BCH joins push for school meal program

BELLARINE Community Health (BCH) is requesting to the Victorian Government to pledge its support to a state-wide school meal program.

The program would work to reduce food insecurity in Victoria, proposed by BCH’s Healthy and Connected Communities team to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into food security.

BCH believes a school meals program has the potential to address barriers to school food provision for many children and their families.

“School meals can lessen the impact of household food insecurity and support families by reducing the time burden, mental load and social pressures experienced when preparing school lunchboxes,” BCH Healthy Communities planner Pen Lynch said.

“A nourishing balanced meal at school can provide children with what they need to grow, learn and thrive.”

The Allan Government’s food inquiry is currently gauging the impacts, drivers of and solutions for food security.

BCH’s Healthy and Connected Communities team works in many education settings particularly across the Northern Bellarine and one of their focus areas is supporting young people to eat well.

BCH states there has been a notable increase in food security concerns in recent years with many food relief agencies reporting a dramatic increase in demand.

“A universal school meal program would enable all students to have access to school provided meals, regardless of their socioeconomic background, and improve children’s nutrition and overall wellbeing,” Ms Lynch said.

“A state-wide school meal program provides a sustainable and equitable approach to support food-insecure families and an alternative to the current reliance on the food relief or food rescue sector.”

BCH noted many examples in its submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry of how school meal programs have been implemented across Australia.

The Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee (LSC) is reviewing all submissions, delivering a report in November this year.