You know this story about David Cameron scrapping plans to end free milk for the under 5s.....?

[CoupleofKooks]

....well, WHAT free milk for the under 5s? The story didn't explain. My under 5s have never been given free milk, but it didn't seem to be just for families on benefits. How do you get free milk?

if you're on certain benefits you get tokens. £3.10 per token...for either formula,fresh milk,fruit or veg

let the benefit bashing commence!!

hmmm
this seemed like it was a general thing, it didn't mention benefits...i will go and read the story again

here

no benefits required

When I was unemployed I used to get vouchers from Healthy Start, they were for fresh fruit, vegetables and milk, but you only got just over 3.00 a week and the vouchers were valid for a month, so I used to save them to get 12.00 worth of stuff. That's the only free bits I got. My DD doesn't get free milk at nursery, it's worked into the monthly fee.

www.dairyco.org.uk/school-milk/for-nurseries/nmru.aspx

ladycad thank you
i still don't 100% get it
it says register for your free milk, then it says pay for your milk
it looks like it's just for children in day care or school
which my under 5 is not

ho hum

thanks annoyingorange

what's the justification for it only being for children who have care outside the home?

is there a link to the article?

Aah, right. I understand it to be for school/daycare, yes. Maybe you could ask health visitor about it?

(n.b. i don't really care on behalf of my own children - we don't have a problem affording milk, and they don't actually DRINK milk anyway - i am just wondering)

Or email the coolmilk people?

\link{http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/08/free-milk-schools-cameron-policy\here's the thing about cameron NOT ending free milk}

my ds had it at school briefly and refused to drink it

once they are five you can pay for it if they want it - mine didn't

Ds had it at preschool and I've just registered for him to receive it in reception.

so children in childcare are more in need of milk than children at home with their parents? this is some extra nutritional need i wasn't aware of?

I'm confused anyway as we were told by school that there would be no more milk and that was before the new government got it

Wasn't it Thatcher who last stole the milk out of our babes mouths?

Ive been confused about the school milksituation. Heard that under 5s get milk at school, (DDs starting in Sept) so why did they get me to pay £12 for thw term??...

[chants]

"Maggie Thatcher, milk snatcher"

My sister came home from school when and told mum that a nasty lady had taken their milk away .

Our school does the free milk for all children under 5 and free fruit as well. DS2 will be in reception and that was one of the things we had to fill out. But it wasn't means tested - it was for ALL under 5's.

Whilst old, this link seems to have some info:

here

It is stupid that children in registered childcare get free milk. Working parents generally have more money than non working parents.

Its not a case of "Maggie Thatcher, milk snatcher", it is treating the children of SAHMs equally with the children of working mums.

I think its a good idea to look at ways of helping children below the povety line most effectively.

My son got free milk and fruit/veg for snacks at school last year in reception. He didn't get it at pre-school though.

I'm a SAHM and I don't expect the state to pay for milk for my children to consume at home.

I'm happy for the entitlement to free milk/fruit/veg for under 5s to be means tested, but I thought the issue was that means testing was less efficient than just giving it to all under 5s. TBH, cutting free milk is such a tiny drop in the ocean it's not worth bothering with. It's like big bloated corporates that cut the tea lady in the first round of redundancies- even though she's the cheapest member of staff that generates the most goodwill.

From what I understand Maggie Thatcher WASN'T the milk snatcher. It was actually the rest of the Tory Cabinet that wanted to scrap free milk and MT was against it. She was outvoted and as she was Education Minister at the time she had to announce it and carry the can for it.