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New version effective 20 April 2026
This is the new version of the licensing criterion and associated guidance.
Criterion HS117#
Applies only to services licensed for under 2-year-olds
Infants under the age of 6 months and other children unable to drink independently are held semi-upright when being fed. Any infant milk food given to a child under the age of 12 months is of a type approved by the child's parent.
Guidance#
How to show you are complying #
You need to make sure that babies under 6 months and toddlers under 2 who can’t feed themselves are held in a semi-upright position during bottle feeds. This means that infants and children who can't drink on their own should not be ‘propped up' (such as the baby lying holding a bottle with a pillow underneath their head) to drink or be left unattended by adults.
Holding infants and children who are unable to feed themselves independently semi-upright, supports digestion, prevents the risk of choking and allows one-one engagement during this key care-giving routine.
It is important to make sure you maintain adequate staffing levels to meet bottle-feeding requirements, so that infants do not experience delays in being fed.
Provision and approval of infant milk#
If your service supplies formula, get parental approval for the brand/type before using it. If the usual brand isn't available, get approval for any substitute before use. Follow manufacturer instructions when preparing infant formula.
If parents supply expressed breastmilk or infant formula for their child, then this is what will need to be given. If parents provide pre-made formula, it should be refrigerated and used within 4 hours of being prepared.
