Young children are being left at home to fend for themselves due to a lack of after school care and inflexible employers.
Three percent of children aged between five and nine go home after school to an empty house.
It's the same situation for school kids aged 10 to 15, with one in five being left to fend for themselves.
The research by the National Foundation for Australian women suggests inadequate after-school care and parental work commitments are fuelling the situation.
Almost 30 percent of parents say they aren't able to adjust their work start times, with 26 percent saying vacation care is too expensive.