Healthy Start: Voucher initiative costs must be met

8 February 2005

Costs for fruit and milk vouchers issued under the new Healthy Start scheme should be paid directly by the Government, according to early years profess*ionals.

Under the initiative, which will replace the Welfare Food scheme, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and young children in low-income families will receive vouchers to be exchanged for fruit, vegetables and milk formula.

Rita Sutton, regional executive officer at the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said the system for the Welfare Food scheme was difficult and put nurseries out of pocket. She welcomed proposals put forward in a government consultation on Healthy Start launched last week that would simplify the administration of payment for fruit.

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