Free nursery milk: your thoughts?

Pumpkin neither do I at all, heck even though ds3 can;t have it due to an alergy I really would like my taxes spent on this.

I was just mentioning to those who do want it to be only for thsoe on benefits that it's not actually an overly reliable way of picking up people who are struggling.

The difference between free milk and free meals is that all children will be given the same meal regardless of where the money comes to pay for it, because they all need to have lunch.

Children don't actually need to have milk given to them at school, they can bring in their own snacks and water and they all already get given free fruit. If some children in a class got milk and some didn't it would be very hard to manage in the classroom. Some parents rightly wouldn't want to pay for their child to have milk at school so they just wouldn't, preferring to give them milk at home. But their children might want milk and then feel jealous of the ones that do get it. And the ones that do get it would be singled out if none of the other parents want to pay and there is none for the rest of the class.

Then what if a child who gets free milk doesn't want it but another child does? Do we just throw it away anyway so the child that wants it can't have it been though technically its available? What sort of message would that send to the children?

It has to be there for all the children or none of the children, it's the only fair way. That has nothing to do with who pays income tax and who doesn't, it's to do with what actually happens within a classroom when free milk is given out.

But Peachy- i don't agree that only people on benefits should get it as my Dh pays his taxes into the system so why shouldn't my children get it?
People on minium wage in my area are on about the same money as people on benefits as we have to pay rent and council tax which takes a huge chunk of our earnings away

The worst thing if changing the system,other than stopping it I guess, would be to limit it to kids on benefits only IMO- this usually means free school meals and there is a needy class in the UK that earns a low income and is on far less than they need to get by but gets that penny in WTC that completely disentitles you to FSM's and associated benefits.

The children in my class get offered the free milk every day. The majority of they don't want it. Those that do aren't really in need of it, they are well fed already, they just like milk!

That said, there are children in need of it and it would be extremely unfair to pick and choose who gets it and who doesn't, it should be there for all or none. So it should stay as free for all of them.

I think that the free milk should be kept for all.
I think that the focus should be on finding a different / cheaper way of getting it.
There must be some kind of bulk deal that councils / the govt can do.

Anyone doubting whether it's needed, look here www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/19/breadline-britain-demand-school-breakfasts
This makes me want to weep. It should definitely be funded differently and even extended to the over fives if it's wanted by the child.

I am a Reception teacher in a deprived area a nd the majority of my class have milk at snack time. For some, this is their breakfast! Definitely think we should keep having it.

The free nursery milk was a PITA for us as both girls were intollerant, so had to provide our own milk for them not to drink in a tub which was one more thing to remember to bring/ collect. If no one had it then they wouldn't have missed it. We found other ways of giving them calcium (e.g. Fortified bread). Ds will probably drink enough for all three though!

DD has free milk at nursary. They have 4 pint bottles and put it in a cup.
DD will always drink it.

I pay for DS to have milk at school, he has reflux and food does not always stay down so he needs the extra cals.

I was told by my HV that I had to stop my D drinking milk during the day as she was gaining too much weight!! So even when she's offered milk at nursery she always declines, and has water instead. I do think it should be offered but there should be a cheaper way of providing it, maybe a deal with dairy farmers/ providers to get the best price for nurseries?

Please don't take the nursery milk away. Save money elsewhere and keep the children fed.

For those who have suggested milk for those on benefits only, I would imagine that the cost of implimenting the scheme would e more than the cost of the milk. One reason Islington gives all it's children free school meals.

Imagine the bad press, another "conservative" government "snatching our milk"

Unfortunately cheap factory farmed milk has a fatty acid profile so much worse than grass fed/free range milk that there is little point in giving it to children. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030206722615

Also, the milk should always be full fat, low fat dairy leads to an increase prevalence in some cancers and lower fertility.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8039138
www.reuters.com/article/2008/01/02/us-nonfat-cancer-idUSHAR26781420080102
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17329264

Any for profit nursery is going to reduce costs where ever possible. That means paying peanuts (for monkeys) and using very cheap foods. Anyway, I digress.

I think the free milk should be scrapped, it must be an accounting nightmare, and would not impact on the cost of childcare so much.

I do believe that all childcare/education establishments should be run not for profit, so that money can be re-invested in staff, equipment and food.

(I have worked in several different nurseries and have also studied nutrition at university).

DS gets milk and it's in a little carton, not a big container poured into a cup, so I imagine the cartons cost 1/3 of this 92p figure. They get fruit too.

I work in a school in a highly deprived area. 30%+ on FSM. We have free fruit for all FS and KS1 children and free milk for under 5s.

My thoughts are this;

I think the scheme has plus points - for some of our children the free milk/fruit is their breakfast and for them it definitely needs to continue.

The free milk would be easier to administer if it was for all foundation stage children and not just the under 5s. It's a PITA, is divisive and as a school we subsidise free milk for all our reception children to avoid this.

Ours is centrally controlled by the LA - we just let them know the numbers.The deliveries for us are a hassle - they only deliver alternative days and storage is an issue - 180 cartons. It would be better if we could just have it in 4 pint cartons and serve it rather than being in small cartons but we don't have a choice. Personally I'd like more control over it whether that is giving us our own budget for it or the central supplier being a it more flexible.

X-posted with loads of others about Dairy allergy! Obviously no, he won't get 'his' milk provided, and I'll have to bring my own.

Are they going to provide a Dairy-free, Soy-free alternative for those with allergies? If not, why not, as a Primary school has to come up with alternatives if the DC is on FSM's. (Though the nutritional content, if DS1's GF meals are anything to go by, is often negligible at best).

At the dc's nursery I know at least one little girl who probably doesn't get the best diet at home, and probably several more (although I haven't been to their houses). So messing around with what it a pretty wholesome and filling nursery diet will mean the less fortunate will go without. Nursery have a kitchen and fridges so I'm sure they all get icy cold milk.

In the grand scheme of things is messing about with young childrens' milk rations really necessary? If they must change it I'd rather they changed it all to organic milk.

Sorry for the misspellings, typing on the phone sucks.

Don't you think it's insane that humans are the only animals who, even as grown ups, drink the milk o another animal? Milk is ment for babies, and a cow's milk is made and designed for calfs, not for humans. That's why so many people are intolerant, the composition and our needs are different. Our bodies don't assimilate calcium from a cows milk as well as from other sources, cow's milk has too much fat and an excess (x3) of protein. Nit to mention the heavy load of hormones and antibiotics.

Don't you think it's ethically wrong to impregnate cows and have them contibually pregnant/nursing, then take their calfs and steal their milk? As wonen and mothers, how does that make you feel? FYI most male calfs are shot after they're born. There's plenty on information out there for whoever wants to learn more.

I think it is a daft concept and should be stopped, really.

There is no need for children to have milk other than some antiquated beliefs about 'goodness'.

I don't think means testing it would be any good as the cost of administering the means testing would add to the cost burden. I suppose the government could give a fixed subsidy - so that nurseries do not claim the cost back, but can just claim x amount per child per month (or whatever). But seriously - £53 million a year for milk? It is a waste of money.

Agree with some other posters that the wording is misleading. This is just Cameron, Osborne etc ignoring the whole prevention agenda. Helping little kids with their diet is going to benefit them later on so money well spent in my opinion ( and my children are both allergic so it doesn't affect us)

I think all children should have milk in nursery & reception and i hope the pm doesn't think of snatching the milk like maggie did!
Children need milk to get calcium for healthy bones and my 3 yo very much enjoys her free carton of milk-about the only free thing we get