Education experts fear a high turnover in childcare workers will have a detrimental impact on children at a critical point in their development.

Key points: Three primary reasons for childcare staff turnover — working conditions, paperwork and pay

Three primary reasons for childcare staff turnover — working conditions, paperwork and pay Educators working in the childcare sector earn as little as $20 an hour

Educators working in the childcare sector earn as little as $20 an hour Work is undervalued because it is seen as "women's work", union says

A nationwide survey of 1,200 childcare workers conducted by the Queensland University of Technology found one-in-five intended on leaving their job in the next 12 months.

The research is being led by developmental psychologist Professor Karen Thorpe, who said the turnover figure was concerning.

"If we've got this turnover and we've got people leaving who are highly dedicated, highly qualified people, that is a real problem," she said.

"[The children] are losing people they're attached to and that's not good for children's learning or emotional and social development.

"The first five years of life is the period in human development where we have the greatest rapid brain development.

"What we know about that is children who have rich experiences in those first five years are set up for life — it makes a big difference — not only for now, but right into adulthood."

Three primary reasons for staff leaving

Professor Thorpe said follow-up interviews at childcare centres in Mount Isa, Townsville and Brisbane revealed three primary reasons for staff leaving — working conditions, paperwork and pay.

"It's not just the Government and parents who are supporting child care, but child care is being subsidised by the families of those who work there because the pay is really at the minimum to live on," she said.

The union representing childcare workers, United Voice, said they were among the lowest paid professionals in Australia.

"Educators that work in the sector earn as little as $20 an hour, which is a third less than what they would earn teaching just a few years older in primary school settings," United Voice Queensland assistant secretary Sharron Caddie said.

Professor Thorpe said the major political parties had focused on accessibility and availability of childcare services, but quality should be a priority too, and that meant giving a pay rise.

"If we want good quality early childhood education and care, then we need to put our money where our mouth is," she said.

Call for a 'professional wage'

Karly Hadenfeldt, who is a director of a childcare centre in inner Brisbane, has enjoyed working in the industry for 17 years since leaving school.

Karly Hadenfeldt said staff turnover at her centre was low. ( ABC News: Jessica van Vonderen )

"I enjoy it — there's nothing else that I have an interest in doing — this is what I'm passionate about," she said.

"Just the smiles we get from the children, the interactions that I have with them — we get to laugh every day."

Ms Hadenfeldt said the job had its challenges, but the positives outweighed any negatives and staff turnover at her centre was low.

"In previous roles I've had, their staff turnover has been higher — it is hard sometimes to keep staff in the industry," she said.

"Obviously everyone would like to be paid more and we do a professional job, so we should get paid a professional wage."

Work undervalued as it's seen as 'women's work'

Ms Caddie said United Voice had put an equal remuneration case before the Fair Work Commission.

"More than 90 per cent of educators in the sector are women, so we think this important work is undervalued because of the fact that it's seen as women's work," she said.

"What the case is all about is addressing that undervaluation of the work.

"The Labor Party has said it will ... directly support our case for equal pay.

"The LNP on the other hand has not made any such commitment in terms of supporting the pay case."

United Voice also conducted polling in June in the marginal seats of Macarthur (NSW), Forde (Qld) and Dunkley (Vic), showing strong support for a pay rise for childcare workers.