We made the hard decision I wouldn't return to work.

I was first told how expensive childcare was by colleagues when I was pregnant with my first child in 2018. Over $100 a day! I was amazed, but then pleasantly surprised when I realised that the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) scheme would rebate some of that for us.

I took a year off on maternity leave, then only returned to work for three months until I was stood down from my long term role in the travel sector when COVID hit. It was difficult to find a new job which was part time, so it wasn’t until the end of 2020 that I returned to work in a new role and my son started daycare three days a week.

It was then that we realised the impact of the daycare fees. Although we are fortunate that my husband earns a great wage, it means our CCS percentage is less than 25% and we are paying around $100 out of pocket per day.

When I had my daughter in late 2021, we had to make the hard decision that I would not return to work until at least 2023 when my son starts school. It makes no financial sense for me to work with two children in daycare.

While I applaud the recent changes for the increased subsequent child rebate, it still means that more than 100% of my wage would go to childcare fees for my two children to attend. It has been a real grieving process for me as I absolutely love my job and what I do, but I can’t justify the time spent out of the house (12 hours a day with the commute) and the added household stress of having two working parents when I would not be providing anything financially to the household.

I’ve spoken to many women who are in similar situations, or who have to rely on family members to look after their children one or two days a week as they are unable to afford the daycare fees for the amount of days required.

Unfortunately, it now means that, at an integral stage of my career, it has stalled and will make it difficult for my career progression when I am able to return to work. Not to mention the loss of superannuation earnings.

While people always mention how fortunate I am to be able to spend this time at home with the children in their formative years - and I certainly don’t disagree - it is definitely not by choice. It’s purely a financial decision integral for our household.

Oakley

If you would like to share your story please email Maddy at [email protected]