Taipei: Pupils studying at elementary schools in Taipei will be entitled to claim one free milk or soymilk product every week at designated retailers starting Monday, the Taipei City Department of Education announced.

According to Focus Taiwan, students attending elementary schools in Taipei can use their student card once a week to claim one milk or soymilk product selected for the city government's program at no cost. This initiative is set to start on Monday. Furthermore, from April 14, the program will extend to preschool pupils in Taipei, including children as young as 2, under similar rules as those for elementary school students.

The department estimates that around 184,000 children are eligible to participate in the free milk program. The participating retailers, aimed at enhancing the nutritional intake of young children in Taipei, include Taiwan's four main convenience store chains-7-Eleven, Family Mart, Hi-Life, and OK-as well as the supermarket chains PX Mart and Simple Mart.

Parents can claim the milk on behalf of their children at the six retail stores across Taiwan, but they are limited to choosing from 13 milk and 15 soymilk products covered by the program. If a student does not claim the free milk by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday of any given week, it will not carry over to the following week.

In Taipei, elementary school students and preschool pupils are provided with a student card and a card for young children, which integrates an EasyCard. This card is commonly used for public transportation fares, small purchases, or as a library card. To qualify for the program, children must be enrolled in schools or preschools in Taipei.

Students who are registered Taipei residents but attend schools outside Taipei, or those enrolled in international schools within Taipei, are not eligible for the program. The free milk initiative will only be available during the 40 weeks of the school year and will not extend to the winter and summer school breaks.