The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme replaces the existing UK Nursery Milk Scheme in Scotland from 1 August 2021. Delivered by the Scottish Government, and administered by Scotland’s local authorities, it aims to support the health and wellbeing of young children and to help encourage healthy behaviours for life. All childcare providers, including childminders, must register for the scheme as soon as possible and by 31 July 2021.
What is it?
The new scheme will fund a daily portion of approved milk (or specified non-dairy alternative) and a healthy snack (fruit or vegetables) for pre-school children spending 2 hours or more in the care of a regulated day care provider and childminders that have registered with their local authority for the scheme. This is a universal entitlement to all pre-school children accessing childcare (and is not just restricted to those receiving funded hours).
Eligibility
• Any childcare provider, including childminders, registered with the Care Inspectorate
• All pre-school children accessing childcare
• Each child should be within your setting for two or more hours to receive the entitlement
• Childcare providers must be registered as a Food Business with their local authority (see further details below under ‘How to register’).
How the scheme will operate
• All childcare providers (including childminders) who wish to participate in the scheme must register for the scheme with their local authority by 31 July 2021.
• Childcare providers will be asked to include details of all eligible children within their settings as part of the application process
• Childcare providers will receive payment in advance for funded milk portions and healthy snacks. Receipts should be retained as proof of purchase and in case they are requested by the local authority, who will be responsible for monitoring the scheme
• The funded milk portion and healthy snack must then be provided free to children – no charges can be made to parents/carers for this
• Blended placements: where an eligible pre-school child receives childcare as a blended placement involving more than one setting on the same day they should still receive the benefit only once per day. Parents and providers will be responsible for discussing how this should be managed in line with existing arrangements for agreeing division of responsibility for meals. The expectation is that the first setting in which the child spends 2 hours will provide unless agreed otherwise
• Cross-border placements: where a child receives childcare in a different local authority area to in which they live, the entitlement will be delivered in the local authority area in which childcare is delivered
• A six-month transition period will be in place while the new scheme comes into effect
• In-year registration after 1 August 2021 to participate in the scheme should be allowed, but local authorities will have discretion as to how this is handled.
How to register
• All childcare providers (including childminders) who wish to participate in the scheme must register for the scheme with their local authority by 31 July 2021.
• All settings should register directly with their local authority. A number of local authorities have already contacted all the settings in their area to advise on how to complete the registration. If you have not heard from your local authority in the next two weeks, please contact SMHSS@gov.scot.
• Depending upon the local authority application form, childcare providers may/may not be asked to also confirm that they are registered as a Food Business with their local authority. Childminders are reminded that if they provide any form of snacks, drinks or meals beyond tap water and serving cold packed lunches supplied by parents that they should be registered as a Food Business with their local authority (environmental health). Contact details for your local Environmental Health Department can be found on the Food Standards Scotland website.
What is my setting entitled to and how will I receive this?
When you are registered to be part of the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme, your setting is entitled to receive funding for the scheme via the local authority - which will confirm the payment arrangements with you.
You are entitled to receive payment for:
• 189mls (1/3 pint)* of plain fresh cow’s milk (whole milk for children over one year or to include semi-skimmed milk for children over two years), or first infant formula (for children under 12 months); or
• 189 mls (1/3 pint)* of plain fresh goat or sheep milk (whole milk for children over one year or to include semi-skimmed milk for children over two years);
• or specified unsweetened calcium- enriched non-dairy alternatives (excluding rice milk) for those children over 12 months who cannot consume cow’s milk because of medical, ethical or religious reasons;
• for those aged six months and over, a healthy snack item (a portion of fresh fruit or vegetables) meeting the portion requirements as set out in Setting the Table.
Further information
If you have any questions, please email the The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme directly at SMHSS@gov.scot. You can also visit Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme and Food Standards Scotland for further information.
Please remember to register by 31 July, 2021 to take part.