Concerns have been raised that new childcare plans announced by the Government could further disadvantage North East families.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt used his spring Budget to unveil major changes to childcare which will see free hours extended to children aged between nine months and two years old by September 2025.
But campaigners say the requirement for all parents to be working at least 16 hours to access 30 hours free childcare could "lock out" North East families.
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Anna Turley, chairwoman of the North East Child Poverty Commission, welcomed the news but fears it will further disadvantage North East families.
She said: "Unaffordable childcare is one of the single biggest challenges for parents and carers wanting to work or increase their hours, and the changes announced should make a big difference to many families in our region, once they are fully rolled out by September 2025.
"However, we have real concerns that these reforms could further disadvantage the North East, as the requirement for all parents to be working at least 16 hours will lock out too many families in our region from being able to access this additional, vital early years education, which should be available to all babies and children."
Under the Chancellor's childcare reform plans, from April next year working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free care from April next year - helping around half a million parents.
This will be rolled out in stages with 15 free hours for all children over nine months from September next year.
And from September 2025 every working parent of under-fives will have access to 30 hours free childcare per week.
Ms Turley is also "deeply concerned" about the Chancellor's complacency around child poverty.
Child poverty is now the highest it has been since 2000/20001 in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber.
Statistics found that 34% of children were living in poverty in the North during the pandemic, compared with 28% in the rest of England.
Ms Turley added: "And the Budget had very little comfort for the many thousands of parents and carers across our region struggling to make ends meet today – with the Chancellor showing a deeply concerning level of complacency about child poverty, and the scale of the challenge we face both as a country and particularly here in the North East.
"No additional investment in Child Benefit, in expanding free school meals, or in Universal Credit to ensure families can afford basic essentials means that far too many children in our region will continue to live in hardship and have their opportunities and life chances limited as a result."
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