Free meals for all schoolchildren: what will change in 2026
30 December 13:32
Starting in September 2026, all students in grades 1-11 in general secondary education institutions of Ukraine will receive free meals, regardless of their region of residence. This was announced by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko on her Telegram channel, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
According to the Prime Minister, the state has allocated UAH 14.4 billion for the implementation of the free school meals program in 2026.
At the same time, almost UAH 5.9 billion in educational subventions have already been allocated to communities to launch the first stage of the reform.
“Since the beginning of 2025, free meals have been available for students in grades 1-4 throughout Ukraine, and since September, students in grades 1-11 in frontline communities have also started receiving hot lunches,” Svyrydenko said.
How the free meals program was expanded
The program is being implemented in stages:
- from 2025 – free meals for students in grades 1-4 across the country;
- from September 2025 – hot lunches for students in grades 1-11 in frontline communities;
- from September 2026 – free meals for all students in grades 1-11 in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the main goal of the reform is to create safe and comfortable conditions for every child to learn, regardless of their place of residence and the format of the educational process.
Renovation of school canteens
Separately, the government has allocated funding for the modernization of school canteens. This includes updating equipment, improving cooking conditions, and meeting modern standards of food quality and safety in schools.
The government notes that an integrated approach – a combination of free meals and infrastructure modernization – should have a positive impact on children’s health and attendance at educational institutions in wartime.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
