Free nursery milk: your thoughts?

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

We've been asked by the Department of Health for your views on the future of the Nursery Milk Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.

Currently, nursery milk is a universal benefit: a third of a pint of free milk is provided for all under-fives having at least two hours of childcare, and any childcare setting can claim the cost of milk provided to any child, regardless of the child's home circumstances.

The Department of Health says the cost of the scheme has doubled in four years to £53m - with some childcare providers apparently claiming back 92p per pint provided. (The average price for a pinta is 36p in England).

So, the Government is now opening a consultation, to "explore options for modernising and simplifying the operation of the Nursery Milk Scheme to improve efficiency and provide better value for money, while ensuring that all children under five attending a childcare setting for more than two hours a day continue to receive free milk".

In other words, while the Government remains committed to providing free nursery milk, it wants to look at the potential impact on some cost-cutting options.

You can read more about the consultation on the DOH's consultations website - and click through to add your comments.

You may also be interested to read this BBC report.

There is also a separate survey for childcare providers about the current scheme and the possible effect of potential changes. Please do fill it in, if you're a childcare provider (closes July 16th).

As ever, you're all also most welcome to add your thoughts to this thread, too.

What is the proven benefit of milk? Or is it just something to drink which is filling?
(I have nothing against milk, my kids drink loads). I just wonder why milk rather than something else.

I would imagine that most nurseries would be getting daily deliveries from a milkman rather than someone scooting off to Tesco to pick up supplies every day. Milk from a milkman is much more expensive, but probably the only practical solution for busy nurseries.

If this scheme was discontinued, I wonder how much impact it could have on the British dairy industry, and what that would cost the government?

I would have thought a far more cost effective way of doing it would be for the Nurseries to keep a register of the number of people they are giving the milk to, and claim back a more realistic cost..... I buy 4 litres of milk for £1.80... about 7p per 1/3 of a pint if my maths is right.

I have children who recieve the free milk at the preschool they attend, I think the suggestion of capping the amount that can be claimed back and the suggestion of issuing evouchers to be redeemed by an approved stockist (pref local milkman) are both good ideas.

I'm not sure why there is a cut off that children under 5 automatically need and recieve the free milk but over fives don't?

Isn't this a rather antiquated practice? I know that some children might not get the recommended amount of milk/per day if they didn't get free milk, but most would..... Could it just be available for children on free school meals or those that have a medical dietary requirement for it?

I am not sure that these days most children drink milk. DS does but that's because he is still rather fussy about his food, whereas his considerably younger sister doesn't, but then she gets calcium in green veggies, oily fish and eggs (none of which her brother will eat!). Surely children who eat healthy diets don't really need it even in their younger years?

In fact there would probably be more benefit in giving it to teenagers, particularly girls, who often eat/drink a lot less than their necessary-to-healthy-growth/bones development requires!

I feel that free milk should only be given to children who are in reciept of state funding. Ie. nursery vouchers or are at state school nursery. The money saved by not paying for the milk of under threes could go into the nursery voucher scheme or child tax credits.

My daughter's nursery could easily provide the milk out of the current fees. I find it silly that under ones get free milk when they need formula milk.

I would like free milk to be provided for the whole of reception. Its complex when some children in a reception class get free milk and others don't.

I don't know, but free milk ( warm and slightly off in summer, long life and vile on days the milkman didn't come) put me off drinking milk for life. However, if it's going to be provided, it should be for everyone- too hard to administer, too embarrassing to claim, too divisive in the classroom - if not.

For everyone or no one is my immediate gut reaction. Some families feel the stigma of free school meals already so to have to claim an entitlement to free milk for their under 5's too isn't fair.

I wonder how much of the free milk to under fives gets wasted? DD has never been keen on drinking milk and I'm pretty sure that although we filled in the forms (in Nursery) to opt into the free school milk, she probably didn't have it 70% of the time. She was keen to continue having it when we would have had to pay for the privilege , because some of her much younger classmates were still getting their free milk, but we knew it would be money down the drain and recently she admitted that she wouldn't have drunk it anyway!

Working in a pre-school I would hate to lose the universality of the free milk. Finances are tight and if we had to make up the shortfall it would mean the children sacrificing something else and it just wouldn't work to let some children have it but not others.

Getting rid of milk was the best thing Margaret Thatcher did. God knows why it came back. Hideous - congealed and stored on the warm radiator in my primary school days - bleeeghhhh. But DD gets it at her nursery and won't drink it. Her teacher said only about half the children will drink it and most is wasted. The children who get free school meals are no more likely to drink it either. She feels a carton of orange juice would be more useful and acceptable by the children. A waste of money I think.

I can see the sense in free school milk in an educational nursery setting. However the free milk scheme has got out of control.

Why should a child in day nursery or childminder who is under the age of three get free milk when a child with a stay at home mother doesn't get free milk. Especially as families with two working parents can afford the free milk easily.

I would like it so that all children between the age of three and five got free milk. Prehaps two year olds who get their 15 hours of nursery funded should get free milk as well.

I also have suspication with child minders and day nurseries that the free milk doesn't always get drunk by the child. Would the money be better spent on free fruit and veg? Childcare providers would then have no excuse for serving up shit.

so why not free school milk on an opt in basis?

tbh my child would not really miss the free milk if it wasnt provided, because i give him milk at home anyway so if they are buying it at such an increased price then whats the point, seems a bit wasteful for the government to do this if thats the case, although i understand some children wouldnt get it at home and so would not want them to miss out.

im not sure my ds nursery gives them free milk every day anyway, is it supposed to be every day? they seem to get it only every few weeks as far as i know - hes in a school nursery class

I didn't even know they got free milk. I don't think DS who goes to nursery half a week has ever had any.

92p a pint is outrageous. How are nurseries getting away with claiming that? Surely buying in bulk is cheaper?

Either make it universal based on age, capped and vouchered or scrap it.

I would like to say "use the money saved to go towards reducing childcare costs, reinstating Bookstart or increasing tax credits for those on low incomes". But I know there's no point. Once it's gone, it's gone with this government.

We have milk delivered to our nursery. The LEA organise it and I have to fill in a return to show how many children we have so that we only get milk for that number of children. It's not a case of Nurseries getting away with anything, school based nurseries will have their milk organised by the LEA. We are hardly popping off on holiday having scammed some extra money for milk!

I would rather they provide fruit to be honest. As spb says what is the actual benefit of milk against, say, fruit. Less likely to be allergic to fruit for a start.

And if they didn't provide it at all I'd be happy with that.

Fwiw I've never even heard of the scheme and have two under 5

zzzzz FYI some leafy greens are an excellent source of calcium (as opposed to cow's milk, which is just "very good") and sardines are a good source of calcium if you eat the bones, which most people do :P

I was not aware that they got free milk. It wasn't an option when my two were at nursery - at primary school they can opt in for milk, but parents have to pay for it. One of mine was allergic to dairy (now outgrown), and the other one doesn't like milk, so they would not have drunk it anyway.

I too have horrible memories of being made to drink warm milk at school. I'd rather they had a piece of fruit or a yoghurt, I'm sure there would be a greater uptake.

And yes, 92p is outrageous.

My DS is at the School nursery and he gets a carton of milk from wiseman dairies a day, Some days he drinks it, others he doesn't, some days he'll say he had two!

On a friday, they put a box in the cloakroom with all the remaining weeks milk for kids to take some home, and there is always a load.

I do think kids should get it provided, but again, i wouldn't mind paying a little for it.

At his nursery just now, we pay £1 a week snack money, this provides them with fruit, cheddars, yoghurts, or whatever the staff provide (we've had pittas, chinese noodles and porridge too :) ), throughout the week, i'm happy with this set up and wouldn't mind paying a little extra for the milk too.

DS can't have free milk as he's intolerant. Do they offer a dairy and soya free alternative?

I really do not think means testing or removing universality is the way to go. It costs money and introduces a stigma which is horrible IMO (I speak as someone who came from a single parent, low income household who got free meals. I remember my free milk at school when I was young, before Thatcher stole it. I'm only 30 so I must have been young but it stuck out as not freely available at home).

Why doesn't the government set about reducing the cost of childcare so parents have more money in their pocket? Or improve nutrition in educational settings instead our kids being fed crap made by private companies keen on making a profit?

Those saying fruit instead of milk. Fruit isn't that high in calories and it's very sugary. Not a great snack for a small kid IMO. I say this as someone who's DS doesn't drink milk. I'd rather give a yoghurt than an apple. An apple does nothing for hunger.

Thanks for backing me up Sossiges - knew I was right as I'd investigated for niece who hates all thinks milk-related with a vengeance!