Many Illawarra mums fear planned federal child-care legislation may increase costs and make places harder to find.New child-care standards, known as the The National Quality Framework, are expected to be rolled out next year. They will reduce the number of children per staff member at day-care centres, and harmonise state and national standards, with the aim of improving the quality and safety of care.However, advocacy group Child Care NSW has released survey findings which show the reforms will put even more pressure on child-care centres and families "already under serious stress".The report also found nine out of 10 centres with children aged two-to-three years old would have to increase fees and new carer-to-child ratios would reduce the number of places available.Mother-of-two Susan Wallis uses the Short St Preschool and Occasional Care Centre in Corrimal.She said any cost increase would prompt her to reconsider the level of child care she could afford."Our younger child attends two days a week - we'd have to drop a day or do half a day occasional care," Ms Wallis said."So not only are we disadvantaged but she is not getting the education she needs."The cost of child care can vary. Long-day care can cost as much as $135 a day and preschool around $60. Family day care can be between $4.50 and $8.50 an hour and in-home care $25 an hour.Ms Wallis said her children's educations remained the most important factor in making a decision, but "sadly, if you don't have the money you can't do it".Short St centre supervisor Kylie Pettit said the centre had long waiting lists and already incorporated the new carer-child ratios, which put pressure on intake numbers.The centre is run under Illawarra Area Child Care, which has already absorbed many of the reforms to be rolled out in the Government's plans."The availability just isn't there," she said. "At the moment in preschool we envision about 13 to 14 [positions] for next year and we have 30 to 40 that want to go in to that one."