Ohio's Special Milk Program

What You Need To Know?

After the introduction of Summer Foodservice for Ohio and Ohio Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, infants, and children nowhere is Ohio’s Special Milk program which is especially for Children’s who are unable to take care of their nutrition.

During an inspection of 2019, it was found that one out of three children is suffering from a deficiency of iron that leads to many serious problems that mainly include Anemia, Arthritis, Osteopenia, hypocalciuric (calcium deficiency disease) and Osteoporosis. It’s a miserable situation. We have to save our young ones because they are our future…Therefore “Ohio’s Special Milk taxes) Program-(OSMP)” has started a brilliant program to provide milk to children in that Schools and Childcare institutions, who don’t participate in other Federal meal service programs.

National School Lunch or school breakfast programs can also participate in “Ohio’s Special Milk Program”. Their sole objective is to provide pure & nutritious milk not only to poor children but for all pre-kindergarten students who does not have access to the School Meal Programs. The “OSMP” provides milk to children of schools, camp, institute and of the day care center. Through OHIO’s SPECIAL MILK PROGRAM educational institute is recompense the milk they serve to the children. It is a federal entitlement program open to public and nonprofit able private schools and also the residential childcare institutes.

In 2011, round about 3,848 schools and day-care center, 782 summer camps, and about 527 non-residential child-care centers are part of OHIO’s SPECIAL MILK PROGRAM. The food & nutrition service manages the program at the federal level and at the state level, the “OHIO’s Special Milk Program is commonly administered by education agencies of state which works along with the cooperation of School Food Authorities.

History of “OHIO’s SPECIAL MILK PROGRAM-(OSMP)”:

“OHIO’s SPECIAL MILK PROGRAM” was established in 1955. Its purpose was to increase the utility of Milk by children of schools & day-care center, which are not a part of Federal Meal Service Programs. In 1966, OHIO’s Special Milk Program came into being through the Child Nutrition Act.

What is special Milk?

Special Milk obtained by the complete milking of more than one milk animal. It is whole, clean, fresh lacteal secretion

Are You Eligible?

Every student of a school & institute can get milk, who participate in “Ohio’s Special Milk Program”. Schools may provide free milk to the poor child, but for this brilliant facility, you must be a resident of THE STATE OF OHIO.

Participating Procedure

To be a part of OHIO’s Special Milk Program, the educational institution must apply and offers children who otherwise could not have an approach to the school meal programs. The school and another educational institute which provides milk to the children and are a part of this Special Milk Program receive reimbursement from “USDA”( “USDA” stands for U.S. Department of Agriculture). The participating educational institutes maintain their program on a non-profit basis and agree to use the federal recompense money to subsidize the cost price of milk to all students.

Every child of participating school or a day-care center can get milk through the “OHIO’s Special Milk Program” instead of their FARMS (FARMS stands for Free and Reduced Meal Service) status.

How To Apply?

The federal agency “CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS” manages the “OHIO’s Special Milk Program” and offers state contact detail on the “School Meals Contacts” page.

If you want to participate in “OHIO’s SPECIAL MILK PROGRAM”, you have to directly contact your Child’s schools, camp or institute to find out if it is a part of “Ohio’s Special Milk Program”.

OHIO’s Special Milk Program’s Impact

In 2012, approximately 61 million half-pints of milk were offered through “OHIO’s Special Milk Program”. During the survey of 768 schools and approximate 20,000 students, it is estimated that the influence of free pure and nutritious milk supply on behalf of “OHIO’s Special Milk Program”.  Supply of free milk to the poor and needy children has increased the total milk utilization and milk programs were not obstruction to the participation of school student lunch or school breakfast. Children of a student under OHIO’s SPECIAL MILK PROGRAM drank about 42% of more milk at educational institute than those in non-“OSMP” programs.  

For Further Information?

OHIO’s Special Milk Program is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food And Nutrition Service (FNS).

Also Read: Massachusetts MassHealth (CHIP)