'Childcare costs are pricing me out of the job market'

For Alexandra Mesecke, the cost of childcare proved so expensive it effectively priced her out of the job market.

As a post-graduate HR manager, she feels frustration at not being able to put her qualifications to full use.

Paying for childcare cost her about £900 a month which she said was the equivalent of paying a second mortgage.

The government said it has invested over £10.5bn into early education in three years.

Ms Mesecke, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said being priced out of the job market to care for her 17-month-old daughter left her feeling like "women aren't worth it".

"It's like they don't want us at the table. They want us at home cooking and cleaning and looking after the children," she said.

The UK is among the most expensive countries for childcare in the world, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Separate research carried out by the Trade Union Congress showed that part-time nursery fees have increased by 44% since 2010 - an increase of over £2,000 a year.

The government provides 30 hours of free childcare across 38 weeks of the year to parents in England once their child turns three.

But for mothers like Vicky Burton, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, it is not enough.

"I currently have two children, one who's ten months and one who's two and neither of them will qualify until they turn three," she said.

She wants to return to work but has questioned whether it is practically or financially worth it, given the expensive cost of childcare.

Ali Tait runs a support group MIB Network Mums In Business in Sevenoaks, Kent.

She told BBC Politics South East: "There's all these people who've been through an education system, often been to university or further education. They've had really good jobs, they've been really successful and we are literally letting that talent go."

Ms Tait participated in March of the Mummies, a rally organised by charity Pregnant then Screwed. They want investment into affordable childcare, flexible working and properly-paid parental leave.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said it is looking into options to improve the "cost, flexibility, and availability" of childcare with the focus on "improving outcomes for children".

"We're investing millions in better training for staff working with pre-school children and have set out plans to help providers run their businesses more flexibly," they added.