Free nursery milk: your thoughts?

Okay I need to google kosher, because I obviously have no idea what it means? kosher Haribos?!

Aaahhh I see, I didn't read the whole thread. I have to admit I didn't even know you could get kosher milk.

Some is incredibly vague and I think purposefully inflammatory. As has been said, the 92p is common price for kosher milk in many areas. Also food and milk tends to more expensive in some areas (particularly the smaller islands) than in others.

The "priority milk" (as it was called then) for under 5s goes back decades (it's in WW2 booklets) due to it being a relatively cheap source of fats, proteins, calcium, iodine (the Secretary of Health is currently going against WHO guidelines for adding iodine to salt because of the amount of milk drunk in the UK which has nothing to do with the guidelines in the first place) and many other trace minerals needed.

A Healthy Start style voucher scheme would probably be helpful to a lot of childcare providers, more choice to suit their group's needs.

I drank (and still do in fact) a lot of milk. And my DS is the same. I think it's important that this scheme continues and it should remain for ALL under 5s. However how can some nurseries be claiming back 92p per pint? Likely to be because the providers of said milk (caterers? milkman?) are adding a huge mark up to the basic price per pint. Totally unacceptable.

Somehow the middleman needs to be cut out, because they're the only ones benefitting from this.

I must be the only one who liked drinking milk in school!!

It sounds like it could be done a bit cheaper with someone picking up milk from shop on way to work? instead of delivery?

I think if it is a drink to be provided I would much prefer my children to have milk to diluted fruit juice esp between meals. I disagree about changing it to fruit as there are then preferences in fruit to consider, and this is more sugary.

Perhaps there are better calcium sources but cant see them serving these to pre-school children cheaper.

zzzzz Each to his own, but the warm, slightly rancid milk that I was offered in Primary school put me off drinking milk for many years. Very eeewww.

Did she not start at 3 with the funded hours? If not I guess you missed out on that too.

I'm not complaining as I can and will pay for her milk but actually she and her friends have all had 1 year in nursery and start reception together. I think it's fairer to make the cut off the end of an academic year or say it's only free if you're on benefits, like school dinners.

I breasted my son til he was 4, so free nursery milk was not necessary for him. I'd take the cash equivalent for the product I provided him

yes i have seen milk hanging around and teachers asking parents to take it on friday.

I didn't know this existed post-Thatcher, though did know that people on certain low incomes/benefits get Healthy Start tokens which can be used to buy milk/veg etc - as long as you don't live in a posh Home Counties village where the local supermarket has never seen such things and like the other shops refuses to take them...

Ds's nursery get about a pint per child per day delivered by my milkman (around 30 pints) so I hope they get a discount as it's 69p/pint for me if I got non-organic. I'm pretty sure they use it all as it goes on cereal and in custard and they can tweak the order with 24 hours notice.

I have been surprised recently at Children's Centres where some of them routinely offer milk cartons with straws after certain sessions, and some randomly - no idea who they are supposed to give it to but I've been asked to take some as it's 'hanging around'!

But your child is under 5 for the same amount of time as her friend! Getting free milk for (roughly) the same amount of time

Yes but she had longer at home and/ or nursery! Though I agree it's a bit of a pain in recep to organise when some are free and some aren't- and I suppose it changes all the time.

That's hardly a new principle though mumnosbest. Back in the dark ages when I was at Junior school, I - as an August Birthday - was forced to dring warm, cream at the top bottles of milk, after others in my year didn't have too were no longer offered this 'treat' once "Thatcher the Milk Snatcher" started limiting it

She got it at home then nursery just like her friend.

Presumably your dd got it at nursery or childminder?

Yes, it is isn't it? Tradition,as opposed to evidence based. (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

Can anyone explain the new ruling on children getting free milk till their 5th birthday? DD is 5 in her first week in Reception so I will have to pay. Her frend isn't 5 untill next August so doesn't pay for a year. How is that fair?

I see all sides of this debate,milk is a great nutritional boost to children on a poor diet,its almost traditional to give milk to under 5s but yet again the system is being abused I think the only way to stop this is to cap the amount you can claim,fair enough most playgroups etc wouldnt want to have to 'chase' round to get milk at a good price but if the limit was capped Im sure they would have to revise it- I know a lot of milk goes home with staff (ive had it myself) and then its not reaching its intended market or is being refused by the child.

Having a child allergic to dairy its of little benefit to him so what about frsh orange juice instead? or fruit as others suggest?

my kids dont drink it. it goes in my tea.