The federal government shouldn't use an overdue boost to childcare funding as an excuse to make unpopular cuts in other areas, the sector's union says.
Families could be better off by $1500 a year on average under the childcare reforms to encourage mothers back to work in Tuesday's budget, although some will lose out.
The $3.5 billion package appeared to be a significant and welcome injection of funding into the sector, United Voice Assistant National Secretary Helen Gibbons said on Sunday.
But she warned the government against tying the changes to family payment cuts or other controversial savings measures.
"We would really be distressed to see children and families being used as political footballs in a senate game," Ms Gibbons told AAP.
"It's really important this government doesn't tarnish what is a good news story for them."
If the government was really committed to helping families, she said they would bring forward the 2017 start date for the "already overdue" reforms.
Ms Gibbons also criticised a plan to cut childcare subsidies for stay-at-home parents with a family income over $65,000.
"This is a knee-jerk reaction to the idea that it's for people who are not working and are just going shopping - my experience is that is a tiny amount of a family's experience," she said.
But the new plan for a streamlined, single childcare payment paid directly to childcare centres was a smart move, she said.
United Voice represents more than 150,000 childcare workers across Australia.
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