The government has unveiled a new scheme that allows parents of toddlers to claim free fruit and vegetables, in an attempt to give these individuals a healthy start in life.

Health minister Melanie Johnson announced that parents of young children in Devon and Cornwall will be the first to benefit from the Healthy Start Initiative.

The Healthy Start initiative will replace the more limited Welfare Food Scheme, first introduced to tackle food shortages during the Second World War.

Recipients will be issued with vouchers to buy milk, fruit or vegetables in local shops.
Those eligible under the new scheme include all pregnant girls aged under 18 and parents on low incomes.

Parents will receive vouchers worth at least £5.60 a week if their baby is less than one year old, and at least £2.80 a week for older children up to the age of five.

“Poor nutrition in pregnancy and early years can have a significant impact on health in later childhood,” said Ms Johnson.

“Our aim in revising this scheme is to make it the kind of scheme that pregnant women and families participating in it want it to be.

“This means it has to offer people much greater choice and flexibility, and support them to make healthy lifestyle choices whilst respecting their rights to make decisions”.

The consultation period runs until April 26 and the scheme is expected to be extended to England, Wales and Scotland early next year.

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