The Kyiv authorities have decided to implement free hot meals for elementary students in public schools. This decision was supported by the Kyiv City Council as part of the new program «Education of Kyiv. 2024-2025 Years».

According to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, state subsidies cover up to 70% of catering or outsourcing costs. In the capital, this model of nutrition is used in most educational institutions, which requires additional funding from the city budget.

«This decision will ensure free hot meals for over 65,000 students. For this purpose, 35.1 million UAH has been allocated from the city budget. Kyiv is the first city in Ukraine to implement school meal reform, and we cannot lower the quality by offering breakfasts at 50 UAH. We have overcome all bureaucratic obstacles to provide children with necessary meals of the appropriate level», – noted Valentyn Mondryivskyi.

He also mentioned that the average cost of hot meals per student in Kyiv is 74 UAH. Overall, nearly 86,000 students will benefit from these services, including over 20,000 students from disadvantaged categories who already have access to free meals.