Kerisha Brady, from Carmena Christian Day Nursery, also said most of the parents she speaks to say they spend more on childcare every month than on their mortgage.
She was commenting after a new report from the Family and Childcare Trust showed childcare costs for kids aged under 2 have risen by a third since 2010, to an average of more than £6,000 a year, or £115 every week. These costs have risen above inflation.
The government says the report only refers to the costs parents have to pay after they've received 15 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds. It also says it has increased childcare spending from £2bn to £3bn since it took office.
Kerisha Brady told Premier's News Hour: "It's a real shame because it means that some children are missing out because some families are choosing to stay at home and look after their children which means the children are not getting that stimulation - that social stimulation - that they so need at that young age.
"I think the government has to prioritise because this is our future generation. These young ones are going to be our doctors and our nurses and our lawyers."
The Liberal Democrats say they want to extend these 15 hours per week to include children aged from nine months to two years for all working parents.
Listen to Kerisha Brady speaking to Premier's Marcus Jones on the News Hour:
