The Malinauskas Labor Government’s commitment to supporting families has seen more than 52,000 extra school breakfasts served across the state.
This has resulted in an extra 2000 students accessing the school breakfast program between Term 1 and Term 3 of last year – a direct result of increased funding to the program, announced in last year’s State Budget.
It comes as South Australian public schools can now also apply for $250,000 worth of new Food Security Grants.
For the first time, public schools and preschools can apply for a Food Security Grant to help school communities learn about growing, accessing and preparing healthy food through projects, such as establishing community gardens, cooking classes, or by purchasing equipment or resources to support gardens or school kitchens.
The Food Security Grants, for amounts between $1000 – $5000, are available to all public preschools and schools with priority consideration to the state’s most disadvantaged schools.
The grants are part of the wider $6.5 million funding boost, announced in the 2023-24 State Budget, which included $5.1 million to food breakfast program providers KickStart for Kids and Foodbank SA & NT.
It’s hoped the additional funding will enable students to access 1.4 million free healthy meals over four years.
The expansion of the program is one way the government is helping ease the cost of living pressures, including the largest annual increase in the income threshold for the School Card, the continuation of the $100 Materials and Services charge rebate and the student device program.
Applications for the new Food Security Grants open in Term 1 Week 3 and close in Term 1 Week 7. Successful applicants will be advised by the end of Term 1 with activities to be implemented over the 2024 school year.
As put by Blair Boyer
The Malinauskas Labor Government is introducing a range of cost-of-living initiatives to make it easier for families right across South Australia.
The expansion of the breakfast program is an important way to ensure those students that need it most, are provided with a nutritious meal to start their day.
The new Food Security Grants will help schools better engage their communities by promoting growing, cooking and access to healthy food choices, leading to better outcomes at home and in the classroom.
As put by Madison Park School Principal Michael Washington
At Madison Park School we combine eating regular, healthy food choices with effective learning and positive school behaviour.
The students have access to food as needed to enable them to concentrate and engage positively in their school learning.
We welcome initiatives, such as the Breakfast Program and the new Food Security Grants, as a way of ensuring students and their families have access to healthy food to ensure regular attendance and a close partnership between school and home.
As put by KickStart for Kids Founder Ian Steel
Where one in four South Australian kids is going to school without breakfast and a further one in five school kids are going to school without lunch, the food insecurity grants that Peter Malinauskas and his Government are providing to schools are vitally important.
Our research shows that children who suffer from food insecurity struggle to achieve positive educational outcomes, suffer from low self-esteem and are isolated in the community.
As put by Foodbank SA & NT CEO Greg Pattinson
We know the rising cost of living has put additional pressure on already struggling families.
As the largest food relief provider in South Australia and the Northern Territory, Foodbank SA & NT have seen a significant increase in families turning to Foodbank services for their food relief requirements.
Foodbank now supports more than 550 School Programs, including more than 325 School Breakfast Programs directly right across the state, with the State Government funding helping us to reach additional students who would have otherwise gone without breakfast.
We look forward to seeing the impact of the new grant funding on Schools, food education and food relief for children across our state.
