Case study: Parents' big gamble to land nursery place for Maya

The voluntary sector worker is on maternity leave and has two daughters, Rona, 3, and Maya, aged four months.

She works four days a week so will need to pay childcare for both children when she returns to work later this year.

She said: "We've had to take Rona out of one of the nurseries because of the cost while I am on maternity leave.

"The prices for nursery fees go up every year, and the same goes for childminders so there's not much difference between the two. Also, it's almost impossible to get into the cheaper local authority nurseries."

While she waits to find out whether her younger daughter is successful in gaining a place at the same state nursery as her sister, the family have had to pay a deposit for a private nursery - which they face losing if the application to the local authority nursery is successful.

It is 50, but some places can ask for up to 300 in advance.

Although the cost will all but use up one of the family's two incomes, Steffi feels they have no choice.

She said: "We are able to manage at the moment, but the year when both our daughters are in childcare we will have to use our savings because it's not possible to manage, even on two salaries, to pay for the fees."