ROSSLYN O'Connor relishes both her jobs, as a mum of three children and a physiotherapist now working in public health research.
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"I find my work really fulfilling, that's why I want to go more," Ms O'Connor said.
"I came back from maternity leave after my third child at the start of last year and I could have picked up more days, I could have worked three or four days a week, but child care was the big factor as to why I didn't do more days."
She is now planning to reassess at the start of next year whether to increase her work days to three or even four, after the federal government announced an additional $1.7 billion for child care as part of the 2021-22 Budget.
IN NEWS TODAY:
Under the current arrangements, the maximum child care subsidy payable is 85 per cent of child care fees.
This applies at the same rate per child, no matter how many children a family may have in care.
Under the changes, to come into effect in July 2022, families with more than one child aged five and under in care will see a 30 per cent increase in the level of subsidy received - to a maximum subsidy of 95 per cent - for their second and subsequent children.
The government said this will benefit 250,000 families.
The $10,560 subsidy cap per child will also be removed for families with a combined income of more than $189,390.
Ms O'Connor said she and her partner Adrian Milne - who is a full-time accountant - were investigating exactly how the changes would affect their Hamilton South family, which includes twins Orlagh and Sadbh, aged three, and son Tadhg, aged two.
But they believe they will be better off.
Ms O'Connor said the family pays $140 a day for child care for their three children and she takes home $450 from two days work.
She said the gap between child care fees and her take home pay would only grow if both the subsidy they received increased and her pay did too.
"If the changes were to come into effect I would definitely put the kids into care for probably three or four days rather than the two, because financially it would be a bit more worth it," she said.
"It would be fantastic, coming from the experience of having the twins where everything doubled at once, to have that opportunity to not feel like you're paying double everything.
"It will make it a lot easier to return to the workforce and not feel like you're not really getting much back from it financially if it's all going to child care.
"They really enjoy the child care as well, especially as three year olds and going on four they get the social benefits from being in care and learn a lot from the centre as well."
She said increasing the twins' days at child care would also help with their transition to school in 2023.
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