KEY POINTS:
Childcare centres are being accused of hitting parents in the pocket twice by raising prices as they indicate they will reject the Government's free childcare plan.
And a group of parents called "20 Hours Free. Please" is striking back by circulating a petition calling on the Government to re-examine the free hours scheme.
Auckland mother-of-two Natasha Barker wrote to the Herald, upset that her family was unlikely to benefit from the Government's pledge to provide 3- and 4-year-olds 20 hours of free childcare a week.
She said it further hurt that Lollipops Educare in Glen Eden, which her younger daughter Georgia, 3, attends, was raising its fees by $25 a week from Tuesday and indicating it would reject the Government scheme.
She said that made making ends meet even tougher for her two-income household that struggled to get ahead.
"I love the daycare our child goes to, and she gets a lot out of it," said Mrs Barker.
"But $100 a month on an already tight budget brings tears."
Mrs Barker said her family would cancel their "luxury", a Sky TV subscription, to help pay the fee increase.
Lollipops Educare managing director Mark Findlay said the price rise was part of an annual adjustment of fees.
The timing was a coincidence and was "not vindictive or sinister".
Mr Findlay said the Glen Eden centre's income had not covered costs in the 14 months since it opened.
Most Lollipops Educare centres are members of New Zealand's biggest early childhood group, the Early Childhood Council.
It says the Government's free hours plan is "dangerous" and claims underfunding will reduce the quality of care.
Member centres were urged to boycott the scheme after the council asked officials to change the policy and let the centres charge compulsory top-up fees.
The secretary of the "20 Hours Free. Please" group, Kirsty Bamford, said the group was formed by eight Auckland parents, and supported the childcare centres boycotting the scheme.
It believed the pre-election promise would not be delivered and it urged the Government to increase the amount of money committed to the plan.
"They promised this - we didn't ask for it in the first place," she said. "It's up to the Government to find a way to make it work."
The scheme was initially promoted as being available to 92,000 children - all 3- and 4-year-olds - by July 1.
Education Minister Steve Maharey said that he stood by the policy and remained optimistic about its uptake.
More than 160,000 forms had been ordered by centres wanting to sign up.
