Parents can’t afford to have more children due to rising childcare fees

More than 80 per cent of people say childcare will be a major factor in how they vote, as new data reveals the suburbs where parents are most worried about fees.

Exclusive: Parents are choosing not to have any more children because the cost of childcare in Australia is so expensive.

Mum-of-two Amy Crisafulli, 35 said there was no way she and her husband Dan, 36, wanted “to endure this financial pain for another five years”.

“Ninety per cent of the decision not to have more children is the cost of child care,” Ms Crisafulli said.

“If it was more affordable we would.”

At one point the couple was paying almost $20,000 a year on childcare fees, on top of a $500,000 mortgage.

Benjamin Balk, founder and chief executive of KindiCare, a website and app that helps parents find the right childcare centre, said this was a sentiment he often heard.

“Mums are constantly telling us that they have delayed having a second child until their eldest is out of care and in school because the costs are crippling,” said Mr Balk.

It comes as more than 20,000 families have put their details into a clever election calculator on the KindiCare platforms, which works out their out-of-pocket costs depending on the policies of the major political parties.

He said there were around 1000 people a day inputting their details into the calculator ahead of the May 21 federal election.

He said a poll running alongside the calculator showed that the child care policies of the major parties would affect the way 83.3 per cent of parents voted.

“The fact that 1,000 people a day are using the election calculator and more than 80 per cent of parents who participated in our election poll said the child care policies of the major parties would affect the way they vote in the May election, shows that child care is a key battleground that cannot be ignored,” Mr Balk said.

Data from the calculator showed that the average household income of families who used it was $157,486, under the $178,760 national average annual earnings for a male and female working full time.

It found parents were paying $131.30 per day in long day care fees per child, before subsidies, with children attending early learning services 3.3 days per week on average.

Mrs Crisafulli, who is a senior advisor in procurement on the Gold Coast, and no relation to Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, said her husband was a professional musician who also worked in a music shop, working Saturdays, so he could look after their daughters on Fridays to save on childcare fees.

Their combined income was $155,000 last year.

She said when both of their daughters were in child care three days a week, the couple were paying $500 a week.

Since the older daughter started school this year there had been some relief but they were still paying $260 a week out of pocket for one child in care four days a week and $60 a week for four sessions of before and after school care.

“It’s quite debilitating as a young working family,” Mrs Crisafulli said.

“We just can’t seem to get ahead.”

Top suburbs where parents are most concerned about childcare fees, plus average daily long day care fees:

NSW:

Blacktown ($103.79)

Schofields ($121.81)

Parramatta (123.51)

Penrith ($113.86)

Castle Hill ($133.54)

Dubbo ($111.73)

Baulkham Hills ($133.72)

Bankstown ($112.74)

Port Macquarie ($111.67)

Westmead ($118.25)

QLD:

Forest Lake ($113.75)

Redbank Plains ($105.35)

Upper Coomera ($113.22)

Nerang ($106.50)

Capalaba (($111.22)

Caboolture ($103.56)

Thornlands ($108.38)

Pimpama ($116.42)

Morayfield ($115.65)

Nundah ($141.16)

VIC:

Point Cook ($138.04)

Rowville ($134.01)

Werribee ($125.45)

Pakenham ($118.27)

Truganina ($113.21)

Frankston ($126.34)

Tarneit ($122.32)

Doreen ($115.34)

Reservoir ($128.69)

Glen Waverly ($131.63)

TAS:

Kingston ($87.20)

Claremont ($124.80)

Glenorchy ($112.19)

Hobart ($126.94)

Devonport (116.81)

Launceston ($119.17)

NT:

Gray ($101.68)

Parap ($102.75)

Moulden ($110.50)

Karama ($101.33)

Farrar ($100.50)

Stuart Park ($115.25)

SA:

Morphett Vale ($113.06)

Mount Barker ($118.33)

Mount Gambier ($127.05)

Paralowie ($113.03)

Munno Para ($125.83)

Pooraka ($124.17)

Christies Beach ($109.29)

Mawson lakes ($122.13)

Adelaide ($114.44)

Parafield Gardens ($106.72)

Source: KindiCare Election Calculator, KindiCare Cost Index

Originally published as Parents can’t afford to have more children due to rising childcare fees