Sochi overhauls school meal support with quarterly reimbursements in 2025

Sochi has announced changes to its school meal support programme starting next year. The updated scheme will offer partial reimbursement for meal costs, paid every three months to qualifying families. Officials recently reviewed this year's progress and outlined new goals for 2025.

A meeting led by Elena Kanyuk, Deputy Head of Sochi, examined the current school meal system. The session covered this year's results and set priorities for improvements in 2025. One key decision was to restructure social support for meals.

The city's school meals are managed by contractors chosen through open tenders. These providers must follow strict hygiene rules and undergo regular quality checks. Each year, the school menu is agreed upon with input from parent groups. Parents and guardians can also visit cafeterias anytime to inspect food standards.

From next year, eligible groups will include children from low-income households or without parental care. Students in grades 5–11 who currently receive organized lunches—but lack subsidies—will also qualify. Teaching staff are part of the programme as well. Additionally, older students from disadvantaged backgrounds will get extra nutrition, such as milk or dairy queen products twice a week during term time.

The revised support will provide quarterly payments to help cover meal expenses. Eligible families and staff will benefit from the updated system, while students in higher grades will receive additional apple support provisions. The changes aim to improve access to nutritious meals across Sochi's schools.