NMRU & The Nursery Milk Scheme

• A registered childminder
• A registered day care provider
• A local authority which provides day care
• Those providing day care in a nursery or crèche for children (under 5 years) of management and staff of certain establishments (eg children’s homes, voluntary or community homes, NHS hospitals) which are exempt from registration should contact the NMRU to confirm their eligibility before registering with the scheme.

Fill out our contact form and our nursery team will guide you through the NMRU application and start deliveries as soon as possible. 

We will ask you for:

• Existing NMRU number (if you are already registered with the NMRU)
• Childcare provider setting name and address
• Your contact details
• Childcare registration certificate number
• The childcare setting opening times
• To sign a declaration and agree to the rules of the Nursery Milk Scheme.

CMA registered child minders are not currently able to register or claim from the Nursery Milk Scheme because the regulations governing the scheme do not permit this. The Department for Education is currently working with the Department of Health (who are responsible for the Nursery Milk Scheme) to examine the options for enabling CMA child minders to claim. Further information will be published via the Nursery Milk Scheme website as soon as it is available.

You may be reimbursed for any pasteurised cows’ milk, including whole and semi-skimmed, under the Nursery Milk Scheme. The milk can be organic.

The Nursery Milk Scheme does not include fully-skimmed milk, goat’s milk, soya milk, lactose free milk, fluoridated milk or unpasteurised milk, milk with added flavours, colours, vitamins or other additives.

As a childcare provider registered with the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit, it is your responsibility to ensure the amount of milk being claimed for your setting is accurate. Even if you are claiming via an agent, it is your responsibility to enter your setting’s attendance data. A claim made via an agent will not be reimbursed until it has been validated against your attendance data.

The Nursery Milk Scheme funds milk for approximately 1.5 million children under 5 years old. This is a Government funded scheme, costing the Department of Health and the Scottish and Welsh Governments approximately £70m per year.

The Nursery Milk Scheme is operated by the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU) on behalf of the Department of Health. It entitles children under 5 years who attend approved day care facilities to receive 189ml (1/3 pint) of milk each day, free of charge. This includes both childminders and nurseries.