A method for the simultaneous determination of twelve elements (K, Ca, Na, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Al, Pb, Cr and Cd) in milk powder for infants and young children by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICPAES) was established. Instrumental parameters were optimized. Standard curves for these twelve elements were obtained with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9995. The detection limits of the ICP-AES method for these elements were in the range of 0.02 to 5 mg/kg, and the spiked recoveries were 87.5%–106.3% with RSD lower than 5% (n = 6). This method was rapid and accurate and could be used for quality control and safety evaluation of milk powder.