Pre-schools are hoping parents won't have to limit the number of hours their children are in care, when the subsidies increase next year.

The childcare subsidy is a payment to help families with the cost of pre-school childcare.

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern unveiled the policy's expansion at the party's annual conference at the weekend.

The MARC Early Learning Centre is a not-for-profit early childhood centre in Mt Albert in Auckland.

Its head teacher and manager Meg Moss told Jimmy Ellingham the current subsidy did not stretch far for some families.