Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-09-27

Improving the nutritional levels of the Children of Early Childhood Development Centres/Pre-Schools

- The programme to provide a glass of fresh milk for the children learning in Childhood Development Centres and Pre-Schools is being implemented since the year 2006, with the objectives of improving the nutritional levels of the children of low income families who suffer from nutritional deficiencies and strengthening the domestic dairy farmer. When reviewing the said programme, experts have pointed out that the nutritional requirements of a pre-school child could not be fulfilled through merely providing a glass of milk. With a view to minimizing the nutrition deficiencies of children in their early childhood, the proposal made by Hon. (Mrs.) Chandrani Bandara, the Minister of Women and Child Affairs, to select the Divisions of Medical Officers of Health (MOH), where a higher percentage of underweight children of 2-5 years of age reside and to implement a programme of providing a balanced breakfast to the children of the Early Childhood Development Centres in such divisions, during the five (05) days of the week, from the year 2017, in place of the programme of providing a fresh glass of milk, was approved by the Cabinet.