I do home based licensed child care. I use a USDA sponsored food program (similar to the school lunch program). Last year a Federal Mandate came down the pipe that we have to serve Low Fat milk to any child over the age of 2. This means ONLY Skim or 1%, unless they have some sort Special Diet Statement (which is a Doctor ordered thing, not a parent request).
I am actually not in favor of this, as I do not think that milk is the cause of the nations obesity problem with children (this is the reasoning behind Mrs. Obama's backing and pushing for this mandate).
But according to this , and the research that was put into it, etc, these low fat milk options are totally OK for kids over age 2. We were even told in our nutrition training about this over the years, that Whole milk is not required for children age 12-24 mos (this was the previous standard..then "guideline" for us for many years). We are still allowed to offer whole milk to toddlers (for us that is 12-24 mos) but that 2% is also fine for them now, but at the date of the 2nd birthday we MUST only serve skim or 1% if we are on a USDA Food Program.
This is not a state to state thing. It is the whole nation for such food program sponsors. Just FYI~
So no reason why you can not!
ETA~ no disrespect meant..but Gamma G's answer is wrong. These new rules that came down the pipe affect daycare's on USDA food programs as well as schools that are on lunch programs. ALL of them.
Whole and 2% are allowed to children 12-24 mos, but after age 2 and on up through all school age to high school, it is ONLY skim and 1% due to this new law/rule backed and pushed by Mrs. Obama. Here is a link to a press release about the school age lunch program part of it. It also affecting Wic.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/pressreleases/2012/0023.htm