Ms Ley was responding to data released at the weekend that showed childcare costs have increased 150 per cent in a decade, hitting the number of women returning to work after having children.

The figures — compiled by financial services firm AMP and the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling — show parents returning to full-time work lose up to 60 per cent of their gross income, once childcare fees, loss of government benefits and higher income tax rates are taken into consideration.

It means mums from low-income families who return to full-time work can take home as little as $4.55 an hour — about 28 per cent of their salary — meaning for many it’s cheaper to stay at home.

Ms Ley said childcare was “unsustainable” with families facing “a terrible struggle for work-life balance”.

The government was waiting on a draft Productivity Commission report next month before making decisions.

“We want to bring relief to families... but I don’t want to pre-empt the report,” she said.

Asked if she hoped the report would recommend how to make it easier for women to return to work, Ms Ley said: “I’d like to see mums return to work when they want to return to work and when it suits their circumstances.

“This isn’t about the Abbott government telling families what to do — this is about making sure families can make the right choices for them.

“No one size fits all.”

She said in her electorate of Farrer, families in cities like Albury were lucky there was good availability of care but affordability was an issue.

She was also keen to provide more mobile childcare options for rural and remote families.

The national average childcare fee is said to have risen 150 per cent since 2004, jumping from $30 to $75 a day for “long day” care.

The report found childcare generally cost more in cities than the bush and more in wealthier suburbs than less affluent areas.

Although the amount of children in childcare has risen steadily over the past decade, about 60 per cent of children from working families are still looked after by grandparents, relatives or friends, the report said.