Mr. Fitzgibbon said that funding childcare is an economic investment and that cuts to childcare will mean people won’t be able to afford to put their kids into childcare meaning they won’t participate in the workforce or just won’t start a family.

“People won’t have children if it’s going to knock them out of the working world,” he said.

“We want to keep the age profile of the population lower rather than higher.”

Mr. Fitzgibbon said investing back into childcare will have a knock-on effect as if people are working, then they are paying taxes as well.

Goodstart Early Learning Centre co-educator Denise Stanistreet said the centre is asking Mr. Fitzgibbon to advocate for some of the funds that have been scrapped from the Paid Parental Leave scheme to go towards childcare and childcare workers.

“Us as educators are tired of not being valued,” Ms Stanistreet said.

Goodstart Early Learning Centre director Kellie Wyld said every $1 invested in childcare will save $7 in the future, as well as highlighted the importance of early learning for children’s development.

“Research shows that 90 per cent of the brain develops in the first five years of life,” she said.

Ms. Stanistreet said that women working in childcare are behind by 17 per cent in wages compared to their male counterparts.

“It’s a no-brainer, things have got to change.”

Shadow minister for education and early childhood, Kate Ellis, said the government’s child care package would drive up costs and put a strain on families trying to balance children and work.

Ms. Ellis said the child care rebate cuts and the means-tested child care benefit will hurt over 500,000 low and middle income families, while the $450 million axed from outside school hours care will affect parents that need to return to work.