Child Nutrition Programs: Meeting the Needs

The Board of Health recommends

The Board of Health submits the following report (May 4, 1998) from the Medical Officer of Health:

Purpose:

This report compares the nutritional value of food in child nutrition programs which utilize primarily donated food to those which are planned and subsidized with purchased food. It also describes how ongoing funding will enhance the strong volunteer, public and private sector partnerships which currently support child nutrition programs.

Source of Funds:

Funding for the Child Nutrition Programs will be provided by the municipality (through the 1998 operating budget of Public Health) with matching contributions being provided by the private sector, the provincial government, school boards and parents.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Background:

At its March 24 meeting, the Board of Health recommended the approval of $1,185,480.00 in ongoing funding to existing child nutrition programs serving 30,000 children across the City of Toronto.

Budget Committee subsequently approved this on March 31st, 1998 and requested the Medical Officer of Health to report to the Board of Health on the nutritional value of food that is available through programs which utilize primarily donated food as compared with the nutritional value of food that is available through subsidized food programs.

Comments:

Poverty among Toronto children is a major concern. The number of children on social assistance has increased from 60,000 (15 percent) in 1990 to 127,230 (26 percent) in 1995. It is well documented that with present social assistance rates and high rent rates, many families on social assistance in Toronto have limited resources for food. This puts children in those families at risk because of inadequate nutrition.

Research shows that children=s eating habits do not meet current dietary recommendations. A recent study by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reported that only 20 percent of Canadian children eat the minimum recommended daily amounts of vegetables and fruit and only 28 percent use whole grain breads and cereals instead of refined grain products. Poor eating habits learned in childhood will continue into adulthood and contribute to the leading causes of death and illness in Canada, heart disease and cancer. Research also shows that children learn about nutrition best through actual experiences with food, such as cutting, preparing, etc. School based nourishment programs provide an excellent opportunity for this type of nutrition education.

However, the lack of a nutritious morning meal among children is common. Young children require more frequent nourishment than adults. The literature shows that children who miss breakfast almost never make up for lost nutrients later in the day. According to a 1997 survey of Canadians approximately 42 percent of children do not regularly eat a nutritious breakfast. In a 1997 Scarborough survey, 35 percent of children did not eat a nutritious breakfast. Children miss breakfast for a variety of reasons including poverty. The provision of a nourishing morning meal may make it possible for a child to be well nourished over the long term and avoid nutritional deficiencies such as iron. Iron deficiency among children, which is prevalent in Canada, has a negative impact on attention span, cognitive development and ability to learn.

In a recent opinion survey undertaken by the Toronto District School Board, school principals reported that student nutrition programs have a noticeable improved impact on both learning and classroom behaviour. They also reported that these programs help to improve school attendance and reduce tardiness. Greater benefits to learning and classroom behaviour were seen in those programs which offered food of a higher nutritional quality.

Ongoing municipal funding to child nutrition programs adds value to existing child nutrition programs in the following ways:

(1)Nutritional quality of meals/snacks served will be improved

Meals that depend on donated food lack essential nutrients because vegetables, fruit and milk products are rarely donated. In addition, many donated foods, such as pop tarts, cookies and donuts, are poor in nutritional quality. Due to lack of funding, most snack programs currently offer only one or two of the essential food groups. Therefore, fewer food groups and less variety resulting in a reduction in both nutritional quality and quantity.

An analysis of typical snack and breakfast menus from programs based upon donated food compared to those which are well planned and subsidized with purchased food has been undertaken. It shows that for both snack programs and breakfast programs, the planned subsidized menu when compared to the donated food menu is consistently superior in the following ways:

-More vegetables/fruit (more folate, Vitamins B6, C & A, antioxidants, iron, fibre)

-More milk products (more protein, calcium, Vitamins A, B12 & D)

-More variety in all food groups

-Less fat

-Greater amounts of most vitamins and minerals

The ability to offer a substantial meal/snack of three food groups is also dependent upon factors such as the availability of adequate kitchen facilities and dishware, a stable volunteer work force and cost efficient food purchase practices. Ongoing funding will enable these three important factors to be addressed.

(2)All program sites can offer meals/snacks five days a week to all children

For optimal nourishment and educational benefit, children in need of a meal or snack require it every day irrespective of their grade level. There are a number of programs that only offer meals/snacks to one or two grade levels and others only through programs which are before school. An additional 25 programs encompassing 6000 children offer meals/snacks 1 - 3 days a week because they lack the necessary funds to provide daily nourishment. Ongoing funding will allow all children in a given location to participate in the nutrition program each day of the week.

(3)Coordination and volunteer capacity will be strengthened

Paid part-time staff for program coordination is an important part of the majority of existing programs. A coordinator is essential to:

(i)implement the meal program;

(ii)secure, manage and maintain volunteers;

(iii)organize the training of volunteers;

(iv)communicate with parents;

(v)maintain accounting procedures; and

(vi)fundraise.

Presently the nutrition programs have:

-200 people paid on a part-time basis, and

-800 volunteers contributing 200,000 volunteer hours.

Ongoing funding will ensure that programs are well coordinated and that there are sufficient volunteers to operate programs effectively.

(4)Program monitoring and evaluation can be ensured

Municipal partnership ensures participation of public health nutritionists to monitor the quality of food in programs and to evaluate the impact of these programs. These ongoing activities will ensure that consistent minimum standards are met and that improvements in quality and efficiencies occur to meet the changing needs of the population. Partnership with school boards will help secure a commitment to evaluation.

Conclusions:

Ongoing municipal funding can add value to child nutrition programs by improving nutritional quality, providing meals five days of the week to all children in need at a given site, strengthening program coordination, volunteers, and monitoring and evaluation.

Contact Names:

Connie L. Uetrecht, North York Office

Director, Lifestyle Policy and Planning Division

Tel.395-7671

Fax.395-7691

Carolyn Barber, Toronto Office

Manager, Nutrition Services

Tel.392-7451

Fax.392-1483