January 23, 2026
By email to:
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
RE: Ontario Student Nutrition Program (OSNP) and Public Health
We are writing on behalf of Ontario Dietitians in Public Health (ODPH) to share a concern regarding the recently communicated requirements for OSNP Local Planning Partnerships (LPPs).
ODPH members who work closely with Student Nutrition Programs have learned of a new requirement for Lead Agencies to establish and chair LPPs—previously optional under the 2018 Ministry Guidelines. These partnerships are intended to support local decision-making, volunteer recruitment, fundraising, and communication with school boards. We were surprised to learn that this new requirement does not include local public health agencies in the list of recommended partners. This is a notable shift from the 2018 Program Guidelines, which identified public health agency staff as key contributors to program governance and local planning committees (pp. 16–17).
In many communities, public health dietitians have long served as chairs and/or members of local planning committees that support the implementation of SNPs. Public health dietitians provide essential expertise by helping ensure foods served align with the evidence‑informed guiding principles and specifications of the SNP Nutrition Guidelines (2020). We also support volunteer recruitment and training, as well as communication with school boards and the broader school community, ensuring OSNPs remain universally accessible to all Ontario students.
We respectfully request that public health be added to the list of potential LPP members and/or that regional Lead Agencies be advised that public health staff, including public health dietitians, should be included in LPPs wherever possible.
We value our relationship with MCCSS and greatly appreciate your ongoing commitment to supporting the health and well‑being of Ontario students.
Sincerely,
KA Leadbeater
Kimberly Leadbeater, RD Luisa Magalhaes, RD, MHSc
Co-chair, ODPH School Nutrition Workgroup Chair, ODPH
