Free school lunches in 2026: how many children will be covered by state support
18 December 2025 09:15
Today, 2 million children in Ukraine are already provided with free hot meals. The next strategic goal is to reach up to 3-3.5 million students, ensuring equal access to quality and safe food regardless of where they live.
This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.
During the final meeting with government officials and representatives of the President’s Office, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko stressed that the state provides tools and grants to expand free meals, while communities should choose the best implementation models (factory kitchen, hub kitchen, etc.).
She also announced the continuation of grant programs for businesses working in this area.
The school nutrition reform is long-term, creating new opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, and grant programs will continue next year. In September, a pilot to expand free meals for students in grades 5-11 was launched in the frontline regions.
The initiator of the reform, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of healthy eating from childhood.
“A school lunch, high-quality, fresh, guaranteed by the state and the community, is a form of care and a manifestation of stability, which everyone lacks now. This confidence should be the same whether you live in a city far from the frontline, in a city near the frontline or in the smallest town. Equality in child nutrition is strategic for us,” Olena Zelenska emphasized.
Infrastructure: state support for communities
The state provides communities with infrastructure support through subventions for the modernization and equipment of canteens. In 2024-2025, UAH 2.5 billion was allocated from the state budget for more than 250 projects, of which UAH 1.2 billion was allocated in 2025.
UAH 1 billion has already been allocated for 2026. The funding is provided under the Ukraine Facility program with the support of the European Union.
Free meals: gradual expansion
The expansion of the free hot meals program is taking place in stages:
- from October 2024 – to more than 1 million primary school students, with funding of UAH 2 billion;
- from September 1, 2025 – up to 1.5 million children, including students in grades 5-11 in the frontline regions, with funding of UAH 8.2 billion;
- from September 1, 2026 – up to 3.5 million students, including all students in grades 5-11 on the terms of co-financing from local budgets. The state budget already provides UAH 14.4 billion.
Staff, security and international support
In the context of war, the reform is adapting to security challenges: it provides for the organization of meals in shelters, the use of prepared or chilled meals, and alternative formats in the absence of electricity.
A separate area is staffing. A network of culinary hubs is being created in Ukraine, where school canteen cooks improve their skills. Currently, 19 such projects have already been implemented or are in the process of being implemented at the expense of a state subvention.
The reform is also actively supported by international partners. With the assistance of the UN World Food Program, UAH 0.4 billion was allocated to improve school nutrition in 2024-2025.
The updated School Feeding Reform Strategy until 2027, adopted in 2025, focuses on sustainability, quality, safety and equal access to healthy food for children and is a key benchmark for further development of the reform.
