Government Initiative Provides Nutritious Meals to Thousands of Young Children

Early childhood centres participating in the government's free lunch scheme report that it is making a significant difference in the lives of children living in poverty. Despite initial resistance to vegetables, children are now enjoying the meals, and many centres are calling for the programme to be expanded.

More than 8,000 children aged two to five at over 300 early childhood centres are receiving meals through the scheme this year. The initiative, which costs $4 million annually, was launched as part of a broader revision of the free school lunch programme aimed at reducing per-meal costs and saving $130 million each year.

The scheme is managed by the charity KidsCan, which supplies ingredients to participating centres. These centres then prepare meals such as vegetable curry, ravioli, and tuna pasta salad. Jo Edmonds, owner of Manaaki Tamariki Early Learning Centre in Rotorua, praised the programme for its positive impact on children's behaviour and social interactions.

"Their behaviour is different because they've got nutritious meals," Edmonds said. "With lunchboxes there's a lot of packet stuff, so we've found that there's not a lot of sugar, and behaviour has changed." She added that children were more engaged during meals and that families were noticing a difference at home, with children eating foods they had previously refused.

Mel Jeffcoat, operations leader at Kids Campus in Tauranga, highlighted the importance of the programme for families struggling with poverty. Prior to the scheme, some families were unable to provide food for their children, and the centre had to supply meals to seven children. Jeffcoat now supports the government's role in feeding children and wants the programme to be extended further.

"My view has changed because society's changed and poverty is so real," Jeffcoat said. "I think that people don't really understand, particularly if you're not working with children or you're not living in a community where that's really evident."

Some children initially resisted the vegetables in the free lunches, but over time, they began to enjoy the meals. Matt Dol, owner of Little Parrots in Mount Maunganui, noted that while there was some wasted food at first, the children now engage in conversations about food and interact socially during meals.

Mikayla Manston, owner of Kai Kids Preschool in Kaitangata, said the programme has allowed the centre to reallocate funds previously used for providing lunch to invest in more resources for the children. Children have developed preferences for certain meals, such as a vegetarian version of butter chicken made with chickpeas.

KidsCan founder Julie Chapman emphasized that the programme is reaching more than 8,000 children, in addition to the 6,000 children the charity was already feeding. While the inclusion of profit-making centres in the scheme has drawn criticism, Chapman argued that these children deserve the same support as those at non-profit services.

"Even some of those that are privately-owned are barely washing their face in terms of being able to cover costs and resourcing," Chapman said. "The children that go to those centres are living with this food insecurity."

Chapman noted that the programme costs about $2 per meal per child and has not experienced any food safety issues or complaints. She expects the scheme to be extended to more centres in the near future, potentially reaching 10,000 children. The Ministry of Education uses an equity index based on socio-economic data to identify eligible centres, and KidsCan has already identified about 60 additional centres that could benefit from the programme.

As the programme continues to expand, it is clear that it is making a meaningful impact on the lives of young children and their families. With growing support from educators and community leaders, the initiative is well-positioned to address food insecurity and promote healthier eating habits among New Zealand's youngest citizens.