Families who battled through a tough half term have laid bare the reality of their childcare woes.
It comes after data revealed that there is only one childcare place in Norwich North for every 31 kids.
Claire Gene, 44, and her husband Ludovic, 43, have three children - Caia, 13, Tsuki, 11 and five-year-old Kito.
Claire said: "The price of childcare was always a struggle but for us it is still worth working.
"I sympathise with those who have little ones now.
"We were lucky that we never had two in childcare at the same time and that we were both working - that made it easier.
"If we had two closer in age, we would've struggled."
Ludovic added: "Help in the UK is universal. Those that earn £150,000 a year don't have an issue.
"Some people rely on this help to live, for survival. Things need to be more equitable."
Parents of three-year-old Harry - Flora, 38, and Richard Waters, 35 - feel lucky they had childcare support from friends and family.
"I wouldn't have been able to go back to work part-time if it wasn't for my family," Flora said.
"Richard's self-employed, so we had absolutely no choice.
"Not everyone is as lucky as us."
Richard added: "For some, affording childcare is nearly impossible.
"Sometimes it hardly feels worth it. You'd be paying more for childcare than what I earn, so you may as well stay at home and spend time with him."
Once upon a time, accountant Stacy had three under five - Demario, now 11, Amelia, eight and Annalise, six.
She said: "My husband and I share the childcare where we can.
"We did have to consider what our childcare options were financially. It's tough affording childcare with a mortgage.
"We were relying on family.
"I really sympathise with parents struggling with childcare costs at the moment - it's not easy, it's strenuous."
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