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.

I think the milk should remain universally available. It is seriously needed at my DCs' schools as many children are under-fed or badly fed (eg crisps for breakfast on the way to school and so on). But I'm surprised at the cost...

Then I remembered that the milk scheme in our area is administered by a profit making organisation which charges IIRC at least twice the going rate for milk once the child reaches 5 (and so probably does the same below 5). The government money is going to make private profits, so the nurseries should probably just be left to administer the scheme themselves (from local milkman/supermarket). It would be cheaper.

Waste of money, the kids dont need it. Rather spend 53million on more important things

I think the profit making middle men need to be removed here and the scheme made easier to administer for nurseries and childminders.

But I am also confused why children in childcare need this and not children at home. It doesn't make sense.

On the whole I don't think providing free milk at all is the best use of this money. It would be better used for targeted help at those who are unlikely to be receiving a good diet.

The consultation is disingenuously worded. 92p is the maximum anyone is claiming but they then go on to make out like everyone is claiming this. 92p could well be a reasonable price for milk in a setting with a very small number of children from strict jewish households that require the milk to be kosher, these will be the exception, not the rule.

Individual single-serve cartons of milk retail for 28p in normal shops, which is 84p per pint. A childminder who has an under-five just two days a week is sensible to get these cartons. Small non-chain nurseries would probably only get a relatively modest discount on this level. Not everyone can buy it in 8 pint mega-bottles - and if they do, how much extra are they spending on staff time measuring out the servings, and clearing up afterwards?

I want to know why kids who can drink dairy get free milk but my ds4, who cannot, has to have his alternative provided by us.

I DO think it is useful to provide- certainly where I am there is a lot of child poverty and it frees up cash for other essential things, such as heating- but if done it should be inclusive.

(we pay £12 pcm, school pre-school so state, and that covers fruit or veg (and toast on toasty tuesday) and the ingredients for baking all term.

I am largely happy with that, but if the fruit were free and they wanted me to pay the set charge and not get the milk i'd be unhappy. He won't drink water- think ASD won't, not picky child won't- and would go without a drink otherwise.

I think all children should have milk in nursery & reception and i hope the pm doesn't think of snatching the milk like maggie did!
Children need milk to get calcium for healthy bones and my 3 yo very much enjoys her free carton of milk-about the only free thing we get

Agree with some other posters that the wording is misleading. This is just Cameron, Osborne etc ignoring the whole prevention agenda. Helping little kids with their diet is going to benefit them later on so money well spent in my opinion ( and my children are both allergic so it doesn't affect us)

I think it is a daft concept and should be stopped, really.

There is no need for children to have milk other than some antiquated beliefs about 'goodness'.

I don't think means testing it would be any good as the cost of administering the means testing would add to the cost burden. I suppose the government could give a fixed subsidy - so that nurseries do not claim the cost back, but can just claim x amount per child per month (or whatever). But seriously - £53 million a year for milk? It is a waste of money.

Don't you think it's insane that humans are the only animals who, even as grown ups, drink the milk o another animal? Milk is ment for babies, and a cow's milk is made and designed for calfs, not for humans. That's why so many people are intolerant, the composition and our needs are different. Our bodies don't assimilate calcium from a cows milk as well as from other sources, cow's milk has too much fat and an excess (x3) of protein. Nit to mention the heavy load of hormones and antibiotics.

Don't you think it's ethically wrong to impregnate cows and have them contibually pregnant/nursing, then take their calfs and steal their milk? As wonen and mothers, how does that make you feel? FYI most male calfs are shot after they're born. There's plenty on information out there for whoever wants to learn more.

Sorry for the misspellings, typing on the phone sucks.

At the dc's nursery I know at least one little girl who probably doesn't get the best diet at home, and probably several more (although I haven't been to their houses). So messing around with what it a pretty wholesome and filling nursery diet will mean the less fortunate will go without. Nursery have a kitchen and fridges so I'm sure they all get icy cold milk.

In the grand scheme of things is messing about with young childrens' milk rations really necessary? If they must change it I'd rather they changed it all to organic milk.

Are they going to provide a Dairy-free, Soy-free alternative for those with allergies? If not, why not, as a Primary school has to come up with alternatives if the DC is on FSM's. (Though the nutritional content, if DS1's GF meals are anything to go by, is often negligible at best).

X-posted with loads of others about Dairy allergy! Obviously no, he won't get 'his' milk provided, and I'll have to bring my own.

I work in a school in a highly deprived area. 30%+ on FSM. We have free fruit for all FS and KS1 children and free milk for under 5s.

My thoughts are this;

I think the scheme has plus points - for some of our children the free milk/fruit is their breakfast and for them it definitely needs to continue.

The free milk would be easier to administer if it was for all foundation stage children and not just the under 5s. It's a PITA, is divisive and as a school we subsidise free milk for all our reception children to avoid this.

Ours is centrally controlled by the LA - we just let them know the numbers.The deliveries for us are a hassle - they only deliver alternative days and storage is an issue - 180 cartons. It would be better if we could just have it in 4 pint cartons and serve it rather than being in small cartons but we don't have a choice. Personally I'd like more control over it whether that is giving us our own budget for it or the central supplier being a it more flexible.

DS gets milk and it's in a little carton, not a big container poured into a cup, so I imagine the cartons cost 1/3 of this 92p figure. They get fruit too.

Unfortunately cheap factory farmed milk has a fatty acid profile so much worse than grass fed/free range milk that there is little point in giving it to children. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030206722615

Also, the milk should always be full fat, low fat dairy leads to an increase prevalence in some cancers and lower fertility.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8039138
www.reuters.com/article/2008/01/02/us-nonfat-cancer-idUSHAR26781420080102
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17329264

Any for profit nursery is going to reduce costs where ever possible. That means paying peanuts (for monkeys) and using very cheap foods. Anyway, I digress.

I think the free milk should be scrapped, it must be an accounting nightmare, and would not impact on the cost of childcare so much.

I do believe that all childcare/education establishments should be run not for profit, so that money can be re-invested in staff, equipment and food.

(I have worked in several different nurseries and have also studied nutrition at university).

Please don't take the nursery milk away. Save money elsewhere and keep the children fed.

For those who have suggested milk for those on benefits only, I would imagine that the cost of implimenting the scheme would e more than the cost of the milk. One reason Islington gives all it's children free school meals.

Imagine the bad press, another "conservative" government "snatching our milk"

I was told by my HV that I had to stop my D drinking milk during the day as she was gaining too much weight!! So even when she's offered milk at nursery she always declines, and has water instead. I do think it should be offered but there should be a cheaper way of providing it, maybe a deal with dairy farmers/ providers to get the best price for nurseries?

DD has free milk at nursary. They have 4 pint bottles and put it in a cup.
DD will always drink it.

I pay for DS to have milk at school, he has reflux and food does not always stay down so he needs the extra cals.

The free nursery milk was a PITA for us as both girls were intollerant, so had to provide our own milk for them not to drink in a tub which was one more thing to remember to bring/ collect. If no one had it then they wouldn't have missed it. We found other ways of giving them calcium (e.g. Fortified bread). Ds will probably drink enough for all three though!

I am a Reception teacher in a deprived area a nd the majority of my class have milk at snack time. For some, this is their breakfast! Definitely think we should keep having it.

Anyone doubting whether it's needed, look here www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/19/breadline-britain-demand-school-breakfasts
This makes me want to weep. It should definitely be funded differently and even extended to the over fives if it's wanted by the child.