Lake Macquarie mum Briana Fairclough dreams of buying a forever home that's close to her work, has a few bedrooms and a backyard where her three-year-old twins can play and grow.
But with the high costs of childcare and housing, that dream has seemed out of reach for at least the near future.
The twins have been in childcare for the past few years, which they attend four days a week while Ms Fairclough works in a bank.
She currently has to pay the same price for each child, and for a full 11-hour day no matter how much of the day they go for.
"Childcare is expensive," she said. "It is subsidised, but it feels like I'm working to put my kids in daycare.
"I would love to be working more, but the more hours I work the more childcare I have to pay. You're chasing your tail and it's very hard to get in front."
To help households like Ms Fairclough's, the 2021/22 federal budget will include an increase in the subsidy for families with two or more children aged five and under in care to a maximum of 95 per cent, up from 85 per cent.
The budget also includes an initiative allowing single parents to buy a house with as little as a two per cent deposit.
Ms Fairclough said the initiative would make her goal of buying a home "much more achievable".
She has been saving to buy a home and recently worked out with ongoing expenses, it would take seven to 10 years to save for a full deposit.
Ms Fairclough said she would like to move closer to her work at Charlestown, but the cost and availability of housing have stopped her being able to.
"I've been renting where I am for 18 months, but I'd live to move closer to my work, it's about a half an hour drive to Charlestown," she said
"But I'm terrified to move, because at the moment there's barely anything, and there's no guarantee that I'd get a place.
"Every house I've applied for before I've got. But lately I've seen hundreds of people standing out the front of houses waiting to go in and inspect.
"And I think they might take two parents, two incomes over me with one income. I've never ever missed a rent payment, my rental history is perfect but you don't know what they're looking for.
"I hate driving half an hour to work but I'd rather suffer through that than take the risk."
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