Not the kind of biased click bait I expect from the Tyee. The program was intended as a one-time boost during COVID. They were able to extend it by one more year. It was a good thing to do, but the immediate urgency passed and education funding was boosted in other ways. That’s not evil or sneaky.
No, the need did not pass. In fact, no education funding from the province accounts for inflation so in real dollars we get less. All our school fees went up in SD73 because the same dollar amt does not buy the same amt of paper or arts or textiles or woodworking supplies.
Although they did say it was a one time fund BC Gov News share.google/o3FMLctgkJTz..., they did replenish it the following year. They should have continued. No, per capita funding did not increase in other ways, and the feeding futures program relies on volunteers nobody has to implement it.
Nor do we have commercial kitchens to prepare meals on the scale that one would want to see implemented.
And in fact, the feeding futures program alleviates some pressure from the CommunityLINK funding. share.google/bkMHQK9N9baa...
The need is still there. They know it.
The need may indeed still be there. As it is for many pandemic benefits. I wasn’t addressing the issue of overall funding, only that it’s ironic that funding was given for 1 year, extended for a 2nd. Instead of that being a good thing, it’s cast as a bad thing. It’s a wonder governments bother.
Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction will be picking up some of the need.
Pandemic benefit?
If what is given in a regular budget is not adjusted for inflation then in fact what we're getting is a cut. Giving a one time student affordability fund to cover that budgetary cut and not making it permanent shows that in fact they did not bother.
We're also not getting paid to develop and administer the many specialty/temporary funds.
