What we know — and don't — about the national school food program

The federal government's plans to launch a national school food program might have left some people with more questions than answers about how it will actually work.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he hopes the program will deliver meals to 400,000 children per year by the 2024-25 school year.

«We all want kids to have the best start in life, including the most vulnerable,» Trudeau said, announcing the program on Monday.

However, not many details were released. Officials at the Prime Minister's Office would not comment on the record. More details may be revealed in the federal budget, planned for April 16.

In the meantime, here's what we know — and don't — about the $1-billion program.

Who is it for?

The federal government says in a statement its target is to provide meals to 400,000 kids every year, «beyond those served by existing school food programs.»

Debbie Field, co-ordinator for the Coalition for Healthy School Food, says about two million children are already participating in school food programs.

The other 400,000 are at the 1,000 schools that are on waiting lists for such programs, Field told CBC News.

A national program would also help families in need overcome the stigma of taking part in programs that only target low-income students, says Rachel Engler-Stringer, a community health and epidemiology professor at the University of Saskatchewan.

«There are plenty of kids who are not participating who could be participating,» Engler-Stringer told CBC's «There are plenty of families that won't participate because there's a stigma involved.»

Is it a new program?

Not exactly. Don't expect every child in Canada to suddenly get served a hot lunch. The program will support existing provincial and territorial programs.

Field