Free Meals for Students in Odesa
From 2023, students in grades 1-4 and 5-11 from low-income families receive hot meals funded by the city budget in Odesa.
Due to wartime conditions, children spend 3.5 hours in school. Therefore, if a child attends the first shift, they receive breakfast worth 55 UAH, and if in the second shift, they get lunch costing 80 UAH.
In October, Odesa received a state subsidy to provide meals for all students in grades 1-4 until the end of the year.
According to a resolution from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the subsidy covers 70% of the meal costs for students in grades 1-4. An additional 30% (15 million UAH) was allocated from the city budget during an extraordinary session of the Odesa City Council on October 25.
As a result, after the bidding process, all students in grades 1-4 will receive either breakfast or lunch until the end of 2024, depending on their class schedule.
Students in grades 5-11 from eligible categories, including children of combatants (recognized by a separate decision of the Odesa City Council), will continue to receive meals funded by the Odesa city budget.
