High cost of childcare putting families off having more children

The soaring cost of childcare has seen families forced to make extreme sacrifices and lifestyle changes just to afford some days in early learning.

The high cost of childcare is forcing parents to change how they work. Picture: David Caird

Families are putting off having more children because of the high cost of childcare, a new study has found.

An independent report commissioned by The Front Project found more than seven in ten parents say early learning costs are stopping them going back to work, working more or studying more.

The national sample of 1700 parents also found 73 per cent of parents said high childcare and kinder costs were a barrier to having more children.

Just over half of parents think it’s hardly worth working at all after accounting for childcare costs and just under half say they’ve had to make financial sacrifices or change work hours because of the cost and availability of childcare.

“Families see early learning as vitally important to their lives and understand the multiple benefits that it delivers, but the system could work better for them,” The Front Project CEO Jane Hunt said.

“There is also evidence that early learning costs are impacting decisions about having more children,” she said.

The study also found more than 80 per cent of parents want more flexible hours and better access to quality care.

They also want government rebates to be more generous.

Mum Charlotte Garrisson says the high cost of quality care was stopping her sending her son Alfie, 3 to care for an extra two days. Picture: David Caird

“Finding early learning that is the right fit can be stressful. Parents feel like they lack genuine choice after taking into account issues surrounding affordability, available places and alignment with individual family needs,” Ms Hunt said.

Data from early learning app KindiCare found parents in Victoria are paying up to $161 a day before rebates. Some are only getting 20 per cent back. Recent federal moves to increase the rebate to 95 per cent only apply to parents with more than one child.

Despite these issues, 80 per cent of parents believe early learning is good for children’s development and wellbeing and benefits the whole family, The Front Project report found.

The organisation is working to promote better quality early learning services across Australia.

Melbourne mum Charlotte Garrisson, who works in operations for a window furnishings company, has her son Alfie, 3, in childcare three days a week.

“I am so happy and the educators are really, really good and they spend a lot of time with each child,” she said.

Ms Garrisson said the cost of quality care added up. “If it was less expensive then we’d probably have him in care an extra two days a week but it’s not worth sending him five days at the moment,” she said.

Originally published as High cost of childcare putting families off having more children