MATERNITY leave should be a happy, joyful time, where new mothers can put the world to one side and focus on spending quality time with their young families.

But for Kesh mum-of-three, Alison McQuade, the looming problem of childcare costs when her maternity leave ends has proven to be a major source of stress and worry.

As a mum of five-month-old twins, Lily and Ella and four-year-old Jayden, Alison knows all too well the large costs that she, and husband, Darren, will have to pay for childcare.

For the twins alone, nursery costs of £105 per day are never far from her mind; this is over and above what she earns as a Day Worker within the Western Trust.

She doesn't know if it is worthwhile returning to full-time work. She struggles daily with a decision that will soon have to be made.

"Before I had the twins I was working five days a week for the Trust," she explained. "But now, even if I reduce my hours, it will still leave it at a loss when we take into account childcare.

"For the girls, the cost will be £105 per day at a nursery, and I will soon have my little boy in P1 with an after-school cost. When you take a step back and evaluate the situation, it's crazy what we will have to pay."

For Alison, who described the looming situation when her maternity leave ends as "scary", she also has to be mindful of income given that her husband's line of work, as a self-employed builder, is often slower in the winter months.

"Childcare costs have become a real worry for us, and we don't know what way Darren's work will be in the winter, and if childcare will even be affordable.

"To be honest, I am terrified; we have a mortgage to pay, a house to keep, and two vehicles, and the Trust pay isn't exactly fabulous. Things are very uncertain."

Alison has called for more support for working parents and pointed to the English model - which provides either 15 or 30 hours of free childcare, depending on age, as an ideal solution.

"I feel the government has to do more for parents who do want to work. They should be supporting that aspiration and giving us a bit of extra help.

"Even getting 15 hours of free childcare for kids over nine months would be a big help, and to get 30 free hours would just be truly amazing.

"Truly, anything would be a help. For Jayden, our bill the guts of £800 to £1000, and that's just for one child. Now we have to double for twins, it's crazy.

"Those in power should be stepping in, as people are struggling."