Elementary-school students in Taipei would be eligible to receive one free milk or soymilk product per week from designated retailers starting on Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Education announced yesterday.
Students can redeem their free drink using their student ID cards at designated stores, which include Taiwan’s four major convenience store chains — 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life, and OK Mart — as well as supermarket chains PX Mart and Simple Mart.
The initiative aims to boost the nutritional intake of young children in the city. Starting on Monday next week, the program would also extend to preschoolers aged two or older, with similar rules applied.
Photo: CNA
The department estimates that about 184,000 children would benefit from the program.
Parents may claim the free milk or soymilk on behalf of their children at any of the six participating retail chains across Taiwan, the department said.
However, selections are limited to 13 approved milk products and 15 soymilk options.
If a student fails to claim the free milk for a week by 11:59pm on Sunday, it would not rollover to the following week, the program Web site said.
In Taipei, all elementary-school students and preschoolers have a student or child card, which is linked to an EasyCard — a multifunctional smart card commonly used for public transportation, small purchases and library access.
The program does not apply to students who are Taipei residents, but study outside the city, or those attending international schools within Taipei, the site said.
The free milk program is run for 40 weeks during the academic year, and would not be available during the summer and winter breaks.
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