Know This: Edition #8

In this edition

• The introduction of the National School Food Program

• Legally redefining the term “parent”

• The youth mental health and bullying crisis

• A huge win for the Toronto Blue Jays

• Spiced apple cheesecake

A Word from the ParentsCanada Team

Fall hits at full speed. Between new school routines, after-school activities and work demands, the days blur together and the calendar fills up fast. At ParentsCanada, we know how hectic it all feels. That’s why we send out Know This, our monthly newsletter that helps parents cut through the noise and stay informed on the stories that matter most to families right now.

Thanks for having us in your inbox — read on for what’s making headlines this month.

Jane Bradley
President, ParentsCanada

THE BIG STORY

School Lunches and Canada’s New National Program

What's Happening

In September 2025, Canada launched the National School Food Program, investing $1 billion over the next five years so that kids from junior kindergarten through Grade 12 across the country can get healthy food at school—no matter where they live or how much their family earns. Federal funding and official agreements have been reached with every province and territory, so the program is truly national in scope. This means that schools now offer more nutritious meals—breakfast, lunch or snacks—right in cafeterias or classrooms.

Some schools offer free meals, some have “pay what you can” options and all focus on healthier choices, fewer sugary snacks and more Canadian-made choices.

What You Need to Know

Every Canadian school-aged child can benefit from the program. All grades are included, but high-needs areas and younger students often see new meal options first. Provincial contributions range from about $0.09 to $3.30 per student per day, depending on location, and local schools decide exactly how and when food is served.

Why This Matters to Families

This is a national story—every family with children in school will benefit. More students than ever before will have access to free or affordable meals at school, and families can worry less about packing lunches (which is a huge relief for so many families across the country). Schools will continue adjusting to meet local recommendations, and as the national program expands, parents, teachers and communities will work together to help millions of Canadian kids eat well and thrive.

THE EXPLAINER

Common-Law Parenthood: Courts Expand Who Can Be a Parent

What’s Happening

Canadian courts are expanding how families are defined, allowing step-parents and other non-biological or non-traditional caregivers to become legal “parents” to children—even when both legal parents are still in the picture. A recent New Brunswick case saw a judge award partial custody to a step-parent who was listed on the child’s birth certificate and had acted as a parent since birth, despite not being genetically related.

What You Need to Know

Laws in provinces like New Brunswick say a "parent" can be anyone who shows a clear intention to care for a child as family—not just their birth parents. That means someone who has acted as a parent for years can sometimes get shared custody, even if the birth parents object. Similar rulings have happened in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, where courts allow multiple people to be legal parents. Judges now use “the best interests of the child” to decide who is granted parental rights, focusing more on relationships and stability than on biology.

Why It Matters to Families

Families today are more complex than ever, and these changes could impact thousands. It means parents who invite adults—like step-parents, partners or caregivers—into their child's life for a long time could see those adults gain legal rights and responsibilities. As Canada moves away from traditional nuclear family laws, parents need to be aware that relationships, and not just biology, can decide who counts as a legal parent in the eyes of the law.

THE HOT BUTTON

Alarming Trends in Youth Mental Health and Bullying

What’s Happening

The annual “Raising Canada” report—a yearly release from national charity Children First Canada—reveals troubling trends for young people: bullying, mental health issues and poverty are all on the rise, highlighting urgent challenges for children and youth across the country.

What You Need to Know

• More than 70% of Canadian youth (ages 12-17) have experienced at least one form of bullying in the past year.

• 25% of youth have experienced cyberbullying.

• 58% of students report witnessing racially motivated bullying, while 14% have experienced race-based bullying themselves.

•  Child poverty is also on the rise; more than 13% of Canadian children lived in poverty by the end of 2024.

• By age 25, one in five Canadians will be diagnosed with a mental illness; 70% experience symptoms before age 18.

Why It Matters to Families

Millions of children are affected by bullying and mental health challenges, and more are growing up in poverty than seen in recent years. Experts are sounding the alarm, noting that these issues undermine learning, well-being and feelings of safety and security for youth in every Canadian community.

THE CHATTER

Canada’s Team is Headed to the American League Championship

We usually spotlight celebrities in this section, but how could we overlook the incredible Canadian sports moment that unfolded last night?

What’s Happening

The Toronto Blue Jays are heading back to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) after defeating the New York Yankees 5–2 in Game 4 of the Division Series—on Yankee turf, no less. The Jays’ bullpen kept their top-tier opponents to just one run, silencing the crowd at Yankee Stadium and sending fans across Canada into celebration. It’s Toronto’s first ALCS appearance since 2016, and the win has reignited the country’s baseball spirit.

Why It Matters to Families

We’ve been waiting a long time for the return of this kind of baseball excitement. (We all know the Jays’ last World Series titles came in back-to-back seasons—1992 and 1993—a golden era for Canadian baseball!)

Next up: Toronto will face the winner of the Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners series. The ALCS opens next week, with the Jays holding home-field advantage as the top-seeded team. This postseason run is uniting fans from coast to coast, giving longtime supporters flashbacks to the glory days and younger fans a taste of what Blue Jays magic feels like.

THE TREAT

Spiced Apple Cheesecake

Because sometimes pumpkin needs a day off in October.

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This month’s newsletter was written by Jane Bradley, edited by Katie Dupuis and designed by Tinker Solution.