Victoria was one of the few states that bucked the trend,with the number of adults who stayed out of work due to excessive childcare costs dropping last year to 20,600 from 23,900 in 2019,according to data released on Tuesday.
Even so,cost was listed as the reason 29 per cent of Victorian parents whose children were not in childcare did not make use of these services last year. Victorian childcare costs are the second-highest in Australia.
Frankston South mother Emily Hovette,33,works full-time and has her two-year-old daughter,Margaux,in care five days a week,with out-of-pocket expenses of $350.
She and her husband,who also works full-time,plan to have a second child and Ms Hovett would like to continue working full-time when they do,even though this will put the family under financial strain.
“It would cost $700 a week,which is a hell of a lot of money and it’s going to be really tough,but we are prepared to do it because there are no other options,” Ms Hovette said.
She said mothers should be supported financially to work rather than being penalised.
“I just think it’s a bit of a broken system personally. I’m trying to work to set up a future for my family and also show my daughter that women can be successful in the workplace.”