The news recently reported that child care places for babies has fallen by 10% over the last three years and parents are finding it increasingly hard to find care for their under twos.

The widely reported story came on the back of a survey by the Greens of 231 child care centres. The survey of private and community day-care centres in major cities across the country showed that vacancies for babies have fallen 10 per cent since 2010.

Up to three quarters of child care centres had places available for babies and up to two thirds had no spaces for toddlers.

And if you can find a place it's getting more and more expensive. This is largely due to both the economy and the number of child care centres that have not managed to survive in the economic downturn; with high rental and property value of property in inner city suburbs and also due to the new National Quality Framework.

The new regulations reduce the ratio of babies and under twos to child care workers. Child care centres simply can't afford to take on more staff to meet the ratio of 4:1 babies per child care worker. Not only that, but the child care workers now need to be qualified which of course means they cost more.

It's even worse in the UK where their ratios are 3:1 babies to child care workers.

According to the Sunday Mail, Australian Childcare Alliance president Gwynn Bridge said some parents were putting their unborn babies' names down on up to 14 waiting lists at once.

Ms Bridge said the Federal Government should pay parents a higher subsidy for babies to cover the higher fees.

"It is unviable for services to provide baby care with the same rate of (government) subsidy as older children," she told The Sunday Mail.

Federal Childcare Minister Kate Ellis said that much of the shortage is also due to local councils who need to fasttrack planning applications for child care centres, so more centres can get up and running.

If you are finding it hard to find child care, don't forget to use our Vacancy Alert system that puts you in contact with child care centres who do have places and also the Super Search facility that gives you all the options in your area and shows which centres have current vacancies.

We'd like to know your experiences and thoughts on the child care shortage for under twos.