It’s no secret that childcare in New Zealand is some of the most expensive in the world.
This a barrier that many Kiwi families face, including a young mum of three who has gone viral after revealing the true cost of returning to work after having children.
Anna Catley is a marketing whizz and mother of three young kids.
She recently had twins and is now counting up the cost of going back to the office.
Through her TikToks, which have now gone viral, she realised it was just too expensive to go back to work and send her kids to childcare.
“I found that if I were working a full week and getting $170, that would pay for, like, for just my petrol to get to work.
“It’s just not worth it,” she said.
She said she’s still have to do all of her regular activities, like housework, cooking, cleaning, instead of having to fit it around work.
She came up with the idea when talking with a group of friends who are also mums.
A video where she breaks down the cost has amassed over 200,000 views; she attributes it to how relatable her story is.
“I think it’s a really relatable problem,” she said.
“We’ve all got this same problem that the cost of living is so expensive these days, and you need to go back to work to pay and live.”
Catley has been shocked by the reaction to her content, saying the response shows it’s “a really, really big issue for families”.
She wants to see some support for families between the end of parental leave and the start of 20 hours a week of free childcare.
“That would be really helpful for a lot of parents, I think.”
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