Share your views on the Nursery Milk Scheme

Despite operating for over 80 years, the Nursery Milk Scheme has never undergone a formal, large-scale evaluation. Now, researchers at Sheffield Hallam University Jo Pearce and Claire Wall are calling on providers and parents to share their experiences to help them investigate the effectiveness of the current scheme.

The Nursery Milk Scheme (NMS) is a statutory scheme operating across England and Wales, established under the Welfare Food Regulations 1996. It is delivered by the NHS Business Services Authority, with funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Welsh Government.

The scheme allows early years settings to reclaim the cost of 189 ml (1/3 pint) of cow’s milk for each child under five years of age who attends for at least two hours per day. It also funds cow’s milk-based powdered formula, suitable for babies under 12 months. Alternatives to cow’s milk such as oat or soya milk are not currently covered by the scheme.

The NMS can be used by registered childminders, day care providers, local authorities and schools, but not by nannies that provide care in the child’s home. Those registered with a childminder agency cannot currently claim, but the government has announced its intention to include them. Eligible settings can either claim directly through the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU) or via an agency that supplies milk to the setting.

The scheme costs an estimated £60-65 million per year and although it has been operating since the 1940s, there is limited evidence on its impact.

When it was first introduced, the idea was to give children an extra nutritional boost at a time when food was in short supply due to rationing. Now, it potentially helps young children to meet the dietary recommendations for key nutrients such as protein, calcium, zinc, iodine and vitamin A, which is potentially of greater importance to children in low-income households.

This research will evaluate the scheme’s nutritional impact and overall value for money.

The study started in November 2025, will take around two and a half years to complete and contains several stages. Researchers have already consulted organisations that represent early years settings, such as the Alliance, and spoken to those involved in public health. This has helped them to understand how the scheme fits into wider policies supporting babies and children aged 0-4 years. Next, they will speak to milk agents and the NMRU to understand how the scheme operates.

Commenting on the Alliance’s involvement with the research, director of quality improvement Michael Freeston said: “At the Alliance we often get questions from members about the NMS, which is why we welcome the fact that this work will help us to learn more about the scheme. I am delighted the Alliance is involved in the research and would urge all our members and supporters to engage with the surveys and fieldwork as they are rolled out.”

Following a pilot study, an online survey will be sent to a sample of early years settings, including nurseries, pre-schools, school-based settings and childminders to include questions such as:

• how much they spend on milk 
• where they buy it
• how and when they provide milk, dairy products and formula
  
• how they use the scheme
  
• their views on it
  

Settings can also opt in to the next stage of the study, where a smaller number of participants will be interviewed by a member of the research team. They will also be asked to send a survey to the families who attend their setting, requesting information about their child’s milk and dairy consumption, whether they have heard of the scheme and their views on it.

With help from the early years setting, parents will have the option to record everything their child ate and drank during one full day. This will provide the study with additional data on how much milk children drink and whether the scheme contributes to their dietary intake.

As a thank you to early years settings and parents for their time, payments will be given for taking part in the later stages of the research.

Finally, the University of Sheffield will undertake a health economic evaluation to understand the broader financial benefits of the scheme and its impact on children’s health.

One of the research team, Jo Pearce, said: “It is important to find out how the scheme contributes to children's diets and whether any benefit is equitable. We think our research will help inform policy makers by filling in the gaps in the current evidence base." 

This study is funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme (PRP) (NIHR208579). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or Department of Health and Social Care.

Starting in September 2026, the research team will begin sending monthly surveys to early years settings across England, continuing until April 2027. One in five settings will be invited to participate. If you receive a survey, we encourage you to share your views and consider participating in subsequent research phases.

For more information about the research please contact Michael Freeston (michael.freeston@eyalliance.org.uk), Jo Pearce (jo.pearce@shu.ac.uk) or Claire Wall (C.J.Wall@shu.ac.uk).