October 13, 2023
The Honourable Stephen Lecce Education Minister of Ontario
Dear Minister Lecce,
I am writing to you as Chair of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to endorse and wholeheartedly support the Toronto Youth Cabinet’s calls for increased funding to combat food insecurity as well as mental health supports for our children and youth in Ontario.
As you are aware, the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC) was established by the City of Toronto with the primary goal of advocating for the well-being of our city's youth. The TYC has recently made significant progress in advocating for various initiatives aimed at improving the lives of students throughout our city and province.
Currently, TYC is also actively engaged in addressing the alarming rise in mental health issues among students in Ontario. The mental health crisis facing our youth, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, requires urgent attention and support.
On behalf of the TDSB, I strongly support the TYC’s call for the implementation of a fully funded, national school food program. This initiative aims to address the critical issue of food insecurity among youth and students, ensuring that no child in our province goes to school hungry.
Our Board took significant steps over the past year to support such initiatives and, among other things, recognized the importance of student nutrition as well as the rising mental health crisis in our schools.
I urge you to act in addressing and supporting a national student nutrition program and request increased funding to alleviate the growing mental health crisis among our youth.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
As always, I am happy to meet to discuss these issues at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Rachel Chernos Lin
Chair, Toronto District School Board