free milk at nurseries and pre-schools

[snodhutch]

are nurseries and pre-schools legally obliged to provide milk for the under 5's

[albaqwerty]

I'm sure they (The Government at that time in the 70/80's) did away with free milk.

[ChuckFickens]

No.

it's up to the nursery, there is no obligation to provide it.

[sophie_1003]

Under 5s are eligible but not sure if it's law that is required; explanation here seems a bit wooly; hopefully someone else will be able to shed some light on what the requirements are.
http://www.direct.gov...SchoolLife/DG_4016089
Scroll down to the 'Milk' bit.

[ChuckFickens]

http://www.nurserymil...about_the_scheme.html

[sophie_1003]

*law that it is provided

[sandyRoe]

Wasn't it one of Thatcher's achievements to take the milk out of children's mouths?
'Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher.'

[horseshoes]

Yuk - school milk put me off milk for years and years! When it was frozen, and it often was, the teacher would put it against the big pipes or in front of the classroom fire, so that it would be luke warm with bits of ice in it.

[sophie_1003]

I think it was milk for under 7s that Thatcher got rid of; may be wrong though.

[New Judge]

I sincerely hope they are not so obliged.

Milk is about 45p per litre. Parents get £1,055 per annum in Child Benefit for their first child and £696 pa for their subsequent offspring. so they can use that to pay their child minders to buy milk for them if necessary.

[ojread2]

LOL, no

[ojread2]

however, nurseries etc ARE entitled to claim for free milk equal to the amount of children they have on their register regardless of whether or not the child's parents is already entitled to claim free milk for them.
It would seem silly that they would not give it to the children though

Why do you wish to know?

[New Judge]

I am surprised, oj.

Am I alone in believing that it is ludicrous to expect the taxpayer to pay for milk for young children who are essentially being looked after whilst their parents do other things?

Please don't mention "the benefits of milk to the child's health" etc. There are many things which benefit children's health and it is their parents' responsibility to provide them.