Cassandra Shedden occasionally finds herself searching her house for items to sell in order to afford baby formula.
The 33-year-old mother of three from Thunder Bay, Ontario, describes the current cost of formula as “gross.”
Statistics Canada reports that formula prices have surged nearly 84 percent since 2017, with an increase of approximately 30 percent in just the past two years.
“Sometimes you’re caught between paying bills and feeding your children,” Shedden remarked.
She mentioned that she often makes minimum payments on her bills or supplements her Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) funds by driving for a delivery service, all to ensure her baby receives enough formula and her other children are also fed.
Cassandra Shedden’s 14-year-old daughter Mackenzie holds her infant sister Charlotte and toddler brother Matthias. Shedden states that Charlotte’s formula alone costs up to $120 per week. (Submitted by Cassandra Shedden)
Shedden’s six-month-old daughter Charlotte is fed exclusively with formula and requires more than the standard amount due to difficulty in gaining weight.
Shedden explained that she attempted to breastfeed her youngest two children but was unable to do so. Currently, she spends between $90 and $120 on formula weekly.
“And that’s for the cheapest brand we can find. It usually only lasts about three days.”
I feel like I fail [my kids] when I get into those desperate situations where I’m searching my house … for a little bit of extra money for the kids.Cassandra Shedden, mom of 3 in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Shedden mentioned that recently, she has seen similar desperate posts from other parents in her Facebook groups.
“People post things like, ‘Does anyone have 0-6 formula to tide me over until the 20th [the date when the federal Canada Child Benefit is paid]?’ Everyone seems to be counting on [that benefit] just to afford even one can of formula. It’s really heartbreaking.”
Lisa Ierullo, who co-manages the Facebook group Everything FREE – Thunder Bay, shared that she has received late-night messages from strangers seeking assistance to obtain baby formula.
Lisa Ierullo, who assists in managing a Facebook group in Thunder Bay for item exchanges, has received requests from mothers late at night to etransfer a small loan to cover the cost of baby formula just to get through the night. Ierullo, also a mother, has sent money on several occasions. (Submitted by Lisa Ierullo)
“A mother contacted me saying her direct payment wouldn’t arrive until midnight, and she had only a limited amount of formula left for her baby, which wouldn’t last through the night.”
Ierullo reported that she promptly sent a money transfer loan to the woman, who later repaid her. She noted that this was not an isolated incident.
Something is terribly wrong.Lesley Frank, Canada Research Chair in Food, Health and Social Justice at Acadia University
Lesley Frank, the Canada Research Chair in Food, Health and Social Justice at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, has been investigating the challenges related to the cost and accessibility of baby formula for nearly 20 years. She noted that similar social media groups are emerging across Canada, with an increasing number of requests for assistance in obtaining formula.
Frank describes this phenomenon as “foraging for formula online and making desperate pleas,” adding that her research highlights a troubling scenario.
Lesley Frank, Canada Research Chair in Food, Health and Social Justice at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, examines issues related to access to baby formula. (Acadia University)
“There are opened cans of formula being sold. One would have to be quite desperate to take a bus to obtain an opened can of formula because it’s their only option to feed their baby.”
Frank also pointed out that many stores keep formula secured under lock and key.
“This is because it is one of the most frequently stolen food items in Canada, which is a clear indication that something is seriously wrong.”
She suggested that increasing the Canada Child Benefit could alleviate the challenge of affording formula, as well as implementing food entitlements for breastfeeding mothers and all children under four years old.
Frank explained that as most formula in Canada is sourced from a heavily consolidated U.S. market, there is little motivation for large companies to compete or reduce prices.
To effectively alleviate the situation, Frank believes that more formula production should occur within Canada.
She proposed that the federal government might consider nationalizing production to ensure that supply meets demand and stabilize the supply chain, preventing Canadian parents from being affected by U.S. production delays, recalls, or shipping issues.
