Ka Ora, Ka Ako |Healthy School Lunches Programme

Ka Ora, Ka Ako aims to reduce food insecurity by providing access to a nutritious lunch every day. The name Ka Ora, Ka Ako is about being healthy and well in order to be in a good place to learn. 

Research indicates that reducing food insecurity for children and young people:

• improves wellbeing

• supports child development and learning

• improves learners’ levels of concentration, behaviour and school achievement

• reduces financial hardship amongst families and whānau

• addresses barriers to children’s participation in education and promotes attendance at school

• boosts learners’ overall health.

Through Budget 2023, the Government provided funding to continue the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme until the end of December 2024.

Providing a lunch to all students in participating schools will make sure that everyone who needs a lunch gets one and will minimise any stigma that sometimes comes with receiving free meals. Programmes that target on the basis of individual need also require a process to confirm eligibility. This can add costs and complexity and discourage eligible families from taking part, meaning some children needing lunch will miss out.