The Kids Eat Smart Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is changing the way more children and youth in the province start the school day. Nine new Kids Eat Smart clubs have been established since the beginning of this school year. In Budget 2007, the Provincial Government provided $750,000 in support to Kids Eat Smart.

"Providing a healthy breakfast or snack for students is the primary reason for schools to have a Kids Eat Smart Club," said the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. "I am pleased to see that nine additional schools have joined the program."

The nine new Kids Eat Smart Clubs are at the following schools:

"When children eat healthy meals, they have building blocks for energy to be attentive and active and thereby increase their ability to concentrate and learn," said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services. "Kids Eat Smart clubs bring an important nutrition program into schools. It is wonderful to see these additional clubs being created to benefit more children in Newfoundland and Labrador."

"Awareness of Kids Eat Smart clubs is growing. That�s great news because the indications are that children and youth take the healthy food choices they make at their Kids Eat Smart Club home with them," said Daphne LeDrew, executive director of the Kids Eat Smart Foundation.

The Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador is a registered charity that supports breakfast, snack and lunch programs for school children. The foundation helps establish and provides support to child nutrition programs through local clubs run by volunteers in the cafeterias, gyms, and home economic rooms of schools.

Kids Eat Smart clubs bring lasting education and health benefits for children and youth and promote their overall well-being. In the last school year, more than 17,000 children and youth participated in 170 programs throughout the province. For more information on Kids Eat Smart of Newfoundland and Labrador, please visit //www.kidseatsmart.ca .

Kids Eat Smart receives support through both the Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Provincial Wellness Plan.

The goals of the $91 million Poverty Reduction Strategy are improved access and coordination of services for persons of low income, a stronger social safety net, improved earned incomes, an increased emphasis on early childhood development, and a better educated population.

The Provincial Government supports wellness initiatives throughout the province through the Provincial Wellness Plan, which focuses on healthy eating, physical activity, staying smoke free and injury prevention. In each of the last two budgets $3.7 million has been invested to implement the plan which includes initiatives such as Healthy Students, Healthy Schools, the new School Food Guidelines, the Provincial Food and Nutrition Plan and the Provincial Wellness Grants Program.

Photo #1: Minister Skinner visits the Leary's Brook Junior High Kids Eat Smart Breakfast Club