No childcare help for rich: senators

Tapered childcare payments to families who earn more than $250,000 have been questioned by some senators, who would like to see the threshold lowered

Two crossbench senators have questioned the need for wealthy families to receive taxpayer subsidies for child care.

Independent Nick Xenophon and Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm have taken issue with a new sliding scale of payments that kick in from $250,000.

"Do people on $340,000 need childcare support? I can't see it myself," Senator Leyonhjelm told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

Victorian Nationals MP Andrew Broad said the government needed to ensure child care was working in regional areas.

"In some of our country towns we don't have the demand necessarily to have a childcare centre open five days a week," he told reporters.

NSW Nationals MP Mark Coulton said the government's nanny trial could be a boon for parents in regional areas.

He used the example of a police officer being married to a nurse with both working odd hours that needed childcare flexibility.