Coming soon:
From September 2025 childcare funding is being expanded to provide all eligible children of working parents with 30 hours funding each week from 9 months old to school age.
Don't forget - the funding application window for the January term closes on the 31st December. To make sure you don't miss out on the funding expansion and your hours, we recommend applying or reconfirming your eligibilty as soon as possible.
Universal funding for 3 and 4 year olds
15 hours funding for 3 and 4 year olds
If you aren't eligible to access the 30 hours funding for working families from September 2025, then all children aged 3 to 4 in England are eligible to receive 15 hours funded childcare regardless of their parents employment status or income.
At Your Co-op Little Pioneers, if you're taking up a fully funded space with only universal funding we won't charge you for any meals or consumables your little one has with us.
What is 15 hours supported childcare for 2 year olds?
Eligible two year olds can access 15 hours supported funding.
If you live in England, your child is 2 years old, and you are in receipt of any of the following benefits your child will be eligible for 15 hours supported funding (calculated on the 38 weeks of school term time):
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Income support
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JSA (income-based jobseekers allowance)
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ESA (income-related Employment and Support Allowance)
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Universal Credit, and the household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefits payments
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Pension Credit
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Child Tax Credit
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Working Tax Credit
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NASS support
Your child is also eligible if they:
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Have an EHC plan (education, health and care)
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looked after by a local authority
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get Disability Living Allowance
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have left care under an adoption order, child arrangements order, or a special guardianship order.
At Your Co-op Little Pioneers we won't charge you for any meals your little one has with us during sessions using supported childcare funding.
How funding works at Your Co-op Little Pioneers
Making your funded hours work for you.
Our nurseries operate all year round (some do offer term time only places) - using 15 hours funding across 52 weeks of the year, gives you 11 hours per week or 570 hours per year. This works out as 1 full day or 2 half days of funded childcare (please note some local authorities restrict the amount of funding you take to 10 hours per day).
If you are currently using the 15 hours funding for working families, the only thing you'll be asked to pay for during these funded sessions is meals, which are also charged during non-funded sessions, we won't ask you to pay more than £5 per day, even if your little one has all 3 meals with us. Our meal charges are £1 for breakfast, £2 for lunch, and £2 for dinner, which covers all snacks and consumables*.
*For children accessing a fully funded place, these charges are voluntary and are not a condition of taking a funded space at Your Co-op Little Pioneers. Talk to the nursery manager for more information.