The Federal Government must tell parents by how much child care fees will jump as a result of its plan to lift standards across the sector, the Opposition says.
The Government wants to improve the quality of child care and has put $22 million on the table for states and territories to develop a national set of standards.
It also wants to see higher child-carer ratios, qualifications and a rating system for centres included in the new quality framework.
That is likely to be signed off by the states and territories by the end of the year.
Opposition child-care spokeswoman Sophie Mirabella says it's time for the Government to spell out to parents the cost of the plan.
''The fact is higher quality comes at a premium price,'' she said, noting some in the sector estimated fee increases of between $20 and $40 a day.
But Child Care Minister Kate Ellis who met children at Capital Hill Child Care Centre at Parliament House yesterday accused some private providers of running a misleading cost campaign.
''They have a very simple message to sell to the public, basically, a scare campaign about fee increases,'' she said.
The Government had been up-front with parents and had acknowledged lifting standards would have some cost, she said.
''There will be some tough decisions to make.''
The nation's largest community child care provider, KU Children's Services, says standards can be improved with minimal cost to parents.
The group's chief executive officer, Sheridan Dudley, says lifting carer-child ratios to 1:4 cost parents with children at KU centres between $1 and $4 a day.
''And it is not in excess of the market rate,'' she said.
''We believe it is affordable with ongoing support from the Federal Government ... every centre in Australia can move towards that standard.''
Meanwhile, a new poll shows 84per cent of Australians want quality child care to be a priority for government.
More than 1000 people took part in the online poll, commissioned by Early Childhood Australia.
Australian Greens child care spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the poll's result backed the need for a long-awaited overhaul of the sector.
''Of course the Government needs to find out how it can pay for it,'' Ms Hanson-Young said.
AAP