(OR35-04-24) Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing School Food Programs: Perspectives From Private Sector Partners

Objectives: Canada is the only OECD country that does not have a national school food program (SFP). There is a renewed focus on establishing a national SFP in Canada incorporating perspectives from key stakeholders to inform its development. There is currently no study examining the perspectives from private sector organization members (i.e., those who facilitate school food programs) in Canada. This study aims to gain insight on the facilitators and barriers of implementing SFPs from private sector partners.

Methods: Through purposive sampling, participants were contacted by email to participate in guided focus groups. The focus group guide consisted of 20 main questions that were informed by the Guiding Principles from the Coalition for Healthy School Food as a framework and adapted through an iterative expert content validation. Focus group audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and data was coded and analyzed on NVivo using Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach to thematic analysis.

Results: Results were broadly categorized into domains: funding, personnel, diverse partnerships, facility and equipment, added program components, school food environment, and heterogeneity among school needs. Recurring themes emerged, including an increasing need for more funding to ensure the sustainability of SFPs, an over-reliance of SFPs on volunteers, a lack of funding allocated to hiring and training designated staff, the importance of establishing community partnerships to adapt to local contexts, the challenge of provincial and regional agencies to accommodate diverse school needs, and the importance of a universal school food program to foster a non-stigmatizing school food environment.

Conclusions: In order to adjust to the needs of the school in a sustainable manner, adequate funding, personnel, and other resources uniquely adapted for each SFP are key, but are becoming increasingly insufficient to meet current demands. These findings can provide policymakers with insights on the key facilitators and barriers in the establishment of a national school food program.

Funding Sources: Feeding Kids, Nourishing Minds is funded by an investment from President’s Choice Children’s Charity, and by the Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition at the University of Toronto. The funding sponsor was not involved in the design, conduct or analysis of the research described.