No formula milk available from foodbanks

[CaraDuneRedux]

Times article:
www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/food-banks-ban-on-formula-leaves-babies-to-go-hungry-tcghd25gm

Maybe someone cleverer than I am can do the share token.

But in a nutshell, in order to follow Unicef guidelines, food banks like the Trussell Trust are refusing donations of formula, so as not to be guilty of encouraging women to give up breast feeding.

Note that we are not talking about the infamous bad old days of formula companies handing out free samples on post natal wards so that women never start to breast feed.

We are talking about families where a decision has already been made to use formula, and where the mother's milk has therefore stopped, who then find due to change in circumstance (eg. job loss during the pandemic) that they are unable to feed their babies. They can't magically restart breastfeeding at this point - the choice (given the 5 week delay between starting a UC claim and receiving the first payment) is formula or starvation.

Are others as horrified by this box-ticking piece of insanity as I am? What can we do? How do we exert pressure on the foodbanks to get them to help the people they were set up to help (rather than pursuing some Unicef-approved tick of self-righteousness)?

We are a community charity. We have a lot of different 'departments' the church ostensibly run the food bank, mainly because they started it about 30 years ago and were instrumental in getting the rest of the disparate organisations around town to link up.

As others have said, covid has changed how we take referrals, many people self refer at the moment. We are now actively making referrals through to HVs and the other community support - like benefit advice, clothing bank, book and toy library etc. We have new covid support, that was government funded and is now funded by local businesses.

We make our own rules but, as with all food banks, we take advice from a wide range of organisations.

You might be surprised and find your area has grown something similar this year!!

@InFlagranteDerelicto - did you not get milk vouchers? Was your HV or Children's Centre not able to help at all?

No one, of any financial circumstances ever has to justify why they chose to use formula. Circumstances change quickly, being able to afford formula one week and then not the next.

Too many self-centred posts on here. It could be you tomorrow loosing your job, defaulting on your rent or mortgage and then being unable to afford the basics.
Many of you will be using a foodbank for the first time in the next 12 months.

@EssentialHummus

Different babies need different formula. It's easier to refer families who needed formula to HVs and other services who can provide.

This, in short. I run a food bank. A few months ago the local council asked us to stop supplying formula, and instead to make an urgent referral to the local HV team. It works, in our case - families that need it receive vouchers or formula within the day and are then on the HV’s books, as it were.

1. It stops people falling through the cracks in the medical/HV system.
2. You really don’t want to have your formula supply reliant on a (generally) volunteer-led service that may receive Formula A one week, B the next and nothing at all most frequently. We could buy it in but that doesn’t solve the brand issue and relative to other items we buy it’s expensive and would affect our broader purchasing - 8 tubs of Aptamil or enough bananas for 400 people, which do you choose?

We do the same at the one I run stores for.

Yes, having read the whole article this smacks of someone trying to blame unicef for government and health service failings. Unicef guidelines do state it can be given in emergency but food banks should not be responsible for general supply of formula. Quite a sensible stance really. Also I like how they mention ‘children’s centres’. I think there’s only about 5 left in the whole country.

This has absolutely nothing to do with breastfeeding!

@InFlagranteDerelicto

I'm still not 100% convinced about the UNICEF guidelines. I suspect they are blanket guidelines intended to cover countries with unregulated industries where a supermarket may stock both acceptable formula and dodgy stuff.

In this country, barring a handful of babies needing prescription formula - SMA, Aptamil, Cow and Gate, Aldi own brand - it's all required to have broadly the same ingredients and be made to the same (high) standards. There may be minor issues round the taste, click, runs/constipation but if it's a choice between no formula or not your usual brand, most parents would take not your usual brand.

Colic, dammit

www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthy-start-vouchers/how-to-apply/

isn't that what this system is for?

Question.

If you child is in year 2 (aged 6-7) and cannot spell the words MY or YOU. Is it the parents fault or the schools fault?

What can we do? How do we exert pressure on the foodbanks to get them to help the people they were set up to help

So you now want to dictate how a free charity runs? People aren’t entitled to this service, it’s there because others have decided to help those less fortunate. It’s there because the government short change those who most need benefits.

It plugs a gap.

I would also say if you are so shocked, why not set up your own charity to help?

I really dislike those who try and criticize people doing good whilst sitting on the fence doing nothing.

Adults can eat anything. Babies can't. A food bank can't guarantee consistency of supply so it's much better for formula milk to be accessed via health visitors etc.

OK. But you can't expect food banks who all have decades of experience and links to local agencies to ignore UNICEF and do as you think is best.

We all do what we think is best based on our local circumstances. We have administrators with experience, legal and health expertise. We aren't just a group of well meaning people handing out bags of food and being patronising.

The food bags are designed by nutritionists. We are included in the local covid planning group. We are expert in what we do and connected to others expert in what they do.

Disagree if you wish, but don't dismiss the decisions made. It is not as straightforward as it may look!

It isn’t as simple as that cara, most parents would choose option 3 which is buy their child’s regular formula no matter what and get into debt / go without other essentials to fund it.

I do think it ties into breastfeeding but in a wider political sense.

UNICEF guidelines are for all countries including the UK.

Sue Ashmore, programme director of Unicef UK’s Baby Friendly Initiative, said: “While people clearly donate infant formula with the best intentions, it’s important to recognise that how babies are fed in the early months of life can have a profound effect on their short and longerterm health.

Yeah, she can fuck off.

The healthy start voucher system is there, provided by government, for exactly this. I don't know what else OP expects.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland because those vouchers are only there for those claiming benefits! If you are working, even on a much-reduced income due to SMP, what do you do?

Have not read full thread.

Unicef guidance has clear pathways for food banks to follow if a baby is at risk of not being fed.

Unicef covid guidance clearly states that supplying formula in an emergency is permitted.

The formula market is crowded and advertising is rife. The guidance exists to ensure that SAFE formula is provided to babies.

Imagine a desperate parent at a food bank. The only milk they have is stage 2 follow on but the baby is 2 weeks old. The well meaning volunteer days this will be OK and gives the milk. The baby ends up very poorly in hospital because its little body couldn't cope with the sodium content in the stage 2 milk. Had the volunteer followed the guidance the baby would have been provided with the right milk.

It is an extreme example but it what the guidance is there to do.

Unicef baby friendly is about promoting safe and effective feeding for all. Not about forcing everyone to breastfeed.

We were on a low income when we had DC1 and we used to get Healthy Start vouchers - you can only spend them on formula, fruit/veg or milk IIRC.

At the moment I can completely see how this could be happening. We are by no means wealthy but we were doing ok. DH has recently lost his job. We don't qualify for any help but we are struggling. We have to keep up nursery fees so that when DH does get back in to work we have childcare. The mortgage and car etc all still need paid.
I'm so thankful that DS is almost 1 as we don't have to buy formula anymore. Cows milk is much cheaper and we used Aldi formula. At 5 months he was getting through so much of it it was 2/3 tins a week. That adds a lot onto your food bill when you're already struggling.
As it is we're still spending more on food than we would have before because we're much more conscious of providing healthy meals for DS. I know everyone drones on about healthy food being just as cheap but it just isn't. We would have had some supermarket own brand instant noodles at about 20p previously but there's no nutritional value in that for DS so we have more fruit and veg which is more expensive. Again I shop almost exclusively in Aldi and Lidl.
I haven't seen or spoken to my health visitor in months, I personally know that if things get that bad I can call her and ask for help but lots of people don't know that.
Final point yes breastfeeding is cheaper but it doesn't work out for everyone especially with the non-existent support available for new mothers at the moment.

@Waveysnail *Waveysnail

www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthy-start-vouchers/how-to-apply/
isn't that what this system is for?

It takes on average 2-3 months from applying to receiving vouchers.

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea

Have not read full thread.

Unicef guidance has clear pathways for food banks to follow if a baby is at risk of not being fed.

Unicef covid guidance clearly states that supplying formula in an emergency is permitted.

The formula market is crowded and advertising is rife. The guidance exists to ensure that SAFE formula is provided to babies.

Imagine a desperate parent at a food bank. The only milk they have is stage 2 follow on but the baby is 2 weeks old. The well meaning volunteer days this will be OK and gives the milk. The baby ends up very poorly in hospital because its little body couldn't cope with the sodium content in the stage 2 milk. Had the volunteer followed the guidance the baby would have been provided with the right milk.

It is an extreme example but it what the guidance is there to do.

Unicef baby friendly is about promoting safe and effective feeding for all. Not about forcing everyone to breastfeed.

Because foodbank volunteers and FF mothers are stupid?

And healthy start vouchers exist for people on very low incomes which is great but there are people on SMP, furlough etc who don't qualify but are still very much in need of help.