Despite persistent food insecurity among under 18 year olds in Canada, the country has not rolled out a school feeding programme, compared to other G7 countries. This article seeks to identify the components of an enabling environment that is favourable to deploying a Canadian school feeding programme. More specifically, an emphasis will be placed on the personal capabilities of the parents. The data show that beyond socio-economic and political characteristics, the personal capabilities of parents who resort to school feeding programmes must be considered. Thus, the analysis of the results exposes an updated understanding of these capabilities and socio-economic characteristics.