Friday, 21^st February 2020

The Andrews Labor Government is making sure students living in Eastern Victoria have the support they need to thrive at school, by investing in providing healthy breakfasts, lunches and school holiday supplies to children who need them.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing MP today announced thirty-three schools across the Latrobe Valley and the Dandenong and Yarra Ranges are included in the 250 schools that have been invited to participate in the School Breakfast Clubs Expansion Program from Term 3, 2020.

Under the expansion, 125 schools around Victoria will be added to the School Breakfast Clubs Expansion Program each term this year, ensuring more students from families that are experiencing disadvantage have the support they need to succeed at school.

The program will also provide lunches and school holiday supplies to students who need it, on top of breakfast.

The Andrews Labor Government announced an additional 500 schools will join the School Breakfast Clubs Expansion Program, thanks to a $58 million boost through the 2019-20 State Budget.

A total of 1000 government primary, secondary, P-12 and special schools are set to benefit by the end of 2020.

It’s part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring children from disadvantaged families can fully participate in their learning at school and build happy and healthy lives.

Where possible, School Breakfast Clubs Expansion Program products are sourced locally from Victorian producers and manufacturers, and this commitment to using locally sourced products will continue as the program expands.

The breakfast and lunch menu offerings include a range of healthy options such as muesli, Vita Brits, milk, baked beans, fruit cups, fresh apples, Vegemite and honey, and lunch bowls.

More than 8.8 million breakfasts have been delivered to Victorian students since the program started in 2016.

 Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino

“Access to healthy meals shouldn’t be a barrier to getting a good education.”

“The school breakfast clubs program has served up more than 8 million breakfasts to Victorian students, and teachers around the state are seeing the enormous difference it makes in class.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing MP

“We know that kids need proper nutrition every day to help them concentrate, participate and reach their full potential at school, and the opportunity to share meals with classmates also brings students together and helps to develop important friendships and connections.”

“The expansion of our highly-successful School Breakfast Clubs to local schools across the Latrobe Valley and the Dandenong and Yarra Ranges means that more students will have the fuel they need to get the most out of every school day.”