Childcare costs to surge past $200 a day for some families
Some parents could be paying more than $200 a day for childcare within the next four years, according to new analysis predicting fees will rise by 20 per cent.
But the major parties remain at loggerheads over how to fix the system.
For a young mother like Lucy Chesteron, landing a childcare place is another challenge.
"The problem with childcare today is that it's so competitive to get a place that the prices just skyrocket," she told 7 News.
Her one-year-old remains on waiting lists while she watches fees soar.
"We keep hearing these promises that prices will drop but they only get higher. When is it going to stop?"
New government data shows the average cost of a full day of childcare is $88, but that's set to rise to $108 within four years.
By then, the most expensive Sydney childcare centres are set to charge more than $200 a day.
For families in Melbourne and Perth it's $175, while families in Brisbane will pay $157 and Adelaide parents $138 per day.
Early Childhood Australia CEO Samantha Page said parents should shop with their feet.
"We encourage families to really shop around when they are looking for long day care particularly," she told 7 News.
The rise is fresh ammunition for the coalition, keen to pressure Labor to back its $3 billion childcare package, which would boost subsidies for low- and middle-income earners and reduce fees.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham said government reforms "will ensure that the hardest working Australian families will get the greatest support".
The Opposition's Penny Wong said there were concerns the reforms would leave too many worse off.
"We've got concerns about the package they've put forward, which will leave one in three families worse off."
Both major parties agree the childcare system needs fixing, but the government is still demanding parliament support cuts to family tax benefits, before it proceeds with its reforms.
The stalemate has forced the changes to be delayed until next year.
