A Sinn Féin motion on "unaffordable" childcare costs is being debated in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Parents in NI say they are being left behind as other parts of the UK benefit from childcare support measures.
Currently, there is no scheme in place for free childcare in Northern Ireland.
Aoife Hamilton, from the umbrella group Employers for Childcare, said Northern Ireland is at an "immediate crisis point" regarding childcare.
"Whether you have children or not, this affects all of us," she told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme.
"If [parents] can't get to work, this is a major issue for our economy but also for all of the sectors that we know will be priorities for the new executive - health, education, infrastructure."
Ms Hamilton said there needs to be "immediate support" for the sector.
The motion comes days after a nursery in Lisburn announced it will close within weeks because of cost pressures and difficulties in staff recruitment.
Birdies Day Nursery, which is privately run and has 60 places, said the decision was made with "unbelievable sadness".
