Free milk for under fives

[reallytired]

What do people think? Is there any advantage to every under five year old in childcare having free universal school milk. Especially as many single mothers on low incomes do not use childcare.

I think that free milk in nursery/ school for three to five year olds is a good thing. However I think its ridicoluos my one year old who is in day nursery 3 days a week getting free milk. Most parents who use childminders or day nurseries are hardly povety striken.

I also suspect that many childminders keep the milk for themselves and not give it their mindees.

news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8896000/8896785.stm

Parents should stand on their own two feet and buy milk for their children.

I pay in excess of £1000/month for my child's nursery place. I doubt the fee is reduced because of free milk so I think I can safely say I am standing on my own two feet and providing milk for my child.

Mingg, I am sure you are standing on your own two feet. Your nursery is probably claiming the free milk and not passing the saving on to you. Or the scheme increases the cost of paperwork so there is no saving in having free milk.

Dear David,

It has been decided to maintain the free milk in schools. Seeing as this issue has been raised it has become apparent to many that a free alternative to cow's milk must also be offered as an option to our children, such as soya milk or rice milk.

I don't wish to scare people from drinking milk, and I know you have to support farmers whom the conservatives are very close to indeed through family and friend ties, but I believe that dairy produce can be quite harmful to humans and cow's milk is extremely difficult for our bodies to digest - and can cause all sorts of ailments such as obesity and ill health in later life.

I shall be hoping that you address this issue in Parliament or however else such a suggestion is approved - as I intend to ensure a free alternative is offered for those of our children who do not wish to consume cow's milk.

I thank you dearly for your time, and should you wish to contact me then please do not hesitate in doing so. I look forward to a positive response.

Sincerely,

John De Haura

I didn't even know they got it, and both mine went to private nurseries from babyhood till school.
Does it only apply to state nursery?

My two went to state nursery (Edinburgh) but we had to pay £1.50 a week for drinks and snacks. I had no idea that the milk was free.

Bollocks and Woo John.

Cow's milk is bad for those of us who are sensitive or allergic but a good and yummy source of calcium, protein and vitamins to the majority of the (white) population of the country.

Having said that, my son goes to private nursery and I've not had a rebate out of the £38 quid a day I bloomin pay!!!!!!!!!!!

Completely agree with johndehaura.

Although I WOULD like to scare people sufficiently into quitting milk - this belief that it's good for us really should be challenged!

Okay John and AbFAbT link the evidence that milk is bad for everyone please

Can see the point about day nurseries etc, but most children take up the free provision from age 3 and so that will catch a lot of pre-schoolers who might need it.

Maybe tie it in with the free provision?

I think means testing things often works out more complicated than applying it universally.

Catrinm, The China Study, by Dr.T.Colin Campbell would be a good read to start with. Left me utterly convinced that we should not be drinking the dairy products of another animal.

my son went to school at just 4 years, but he has never had milk there. Should he of?

AbFab

Thanks for the link. I've not read the book, but as Gillian McKeith and Patrick Holford have written books that are Bad Science, reading something in a book is not proof that the science is right.

You may be correct, however it's like the vaccination scare, do you REALLY think that our supposed nanny state would allow us to drink milk if it was bad for us? Or does the book say that it's a conspiracy from big business/ government similar to the anti vaccination scare???

Not making much sense here (hungover) but I'm going to continue giving DS milk as it's good for him, unless I'm told otherwise by qualified medical people with real evidence X

I don't think either of mine have ever had milk at school. I'm sure dd would have mentioned it at some point!

It doesnt matter if your rich or poor, every nursery,school childminder is entitled to free milk for children under 5 so parents or the setting do not have to pay a penny. So why not

Personally I think we've got bigger fish to fry.