Parents are reshaping their working schedule as childcare costs rise

The increasing cost of childcare in New Zealand is pressuring parents to change how they work, with some reducing work hours or shifting schedules to cope.

Financial wellbeing organisation Crayon delivers advice for New Zealand employers, particularly around support for parents.

Founder Stephanie Pow says that childcare costs are a “big pressure point for a lot of families,” with some parents paying $15,000 to $20,000 a year.

“They [parents] change their working hours so that they can opt for shorter days at childcare and therefore pay less . . . some people choose to reduce the number of hours that they work,” she says.

Pow also says some parents face long waitlists, adding pressure to find suitable childcare that fits their standards.

For a working mother Ryeamie Saldivar Muring, the rise in childcare costs directly changes how she works.

“Before, I went to work from 7am-3pm, but then I changed my time to 10am-6pm to be able to drop my son off at the childcare centre which opens at 7:30 and closes at 6pm,” she says.

Muring says the cost became increasingly overwhelming when her son was between 6 months and 2 years old, as half of her income went to childcare.

She has changed her work schedule to reduce childcare expenses and allows her husband to pick up their child at the centre, cutting their childcare hours from 10am-4pm.

However, Muring says that while the decision eases the financial stress, it also requires her to sacrifice time with her kids.

“I don’t have much time for them, they were asleep by the time I came home, and in the morning they were already at school.

“You will definitely miss dinner, putting them to bed, and watching movies,” she says.

The situation has affected her well-being, particularly during the early years of motherhood.

“I was overwhelmed with everything . . . I was exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically.

“My body wanted to be with my kids, but I have to work.”

Between March and December 2025, childcare costs increased by 2.5 per cent.

OECD data also shows that New Zealand was listed among the least affordable countries for childcare, with most families spending a third of their earnings on childcare.

Pow says this is because, while childcare is more expensive in other countries, New Zealand's lower average income makes the cost harder to manage.

Although 20 Hours ECE and other government subsidies are available to support working parents, “there is more work to be done”, Pow says.

Muring says she feels she has no choice but to continue working to afford childcare costs, saying she does not have her village to rely on.

“Back home in my country, I had relatives to look after the kids.

“Here I don't have much of that access, so I really have to narrow my choices to be able to work,” she says.

Muring says that many parents were facing similar struggles, showing the issue reflects a wider trend.

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