Milk/Snack Scheme

Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme

The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme will replace the UK Nursery Milk Scheme in Scotland with effect from 1 August 2021. The new Scheme is underpinned by the Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2021 which came into force on 21 March 2021. This scheme is designed to improve the health and wellbeing of children.

What will each child be entitled to receive?

The scheme will fund a daily portion of milk (or approved non-dairy alternative) and healthy snack (a portion of fruit or vegetables) for children who spend 2 hours or more in an Early Learning and Childcare setting.

• 189 mls of first infant formula for children under 12 months
• 189mls (1/3 pint) – or a 200ml container- of plain fresh cow’s milk (whole milk for children 1 year and over, including the option of semi-skimmed milk for children 2 years and over)
• or, where children cannot consume cow’s milk for medical, ethical or religious reasons,  plain fresh goat or sheep milk (whole milk for children 1 year and over or to include semi- skimmed milk for children 2 years)
• or where children cannot consume cow’s milk, goat’s milk and sheep’s milk for medical, ethical or religious reasons a specified unsweetened calcium-enriched non-dairy alternative;
• AND a healthy snack portion (fruit or vegetables) per child per day.

As a result of this new free benefit, we are pleased to confirm that Local Authority Early Learning and Childcare settings will no longer charge or ask families to contribute towards snack costs.