Nannies not an exclusive option: Abetz

Federal government plans to subsidise the cost of nannies shouldn't be seen as the taxpayer supporting a high-brow childcare option, Workplace Minister Eric Abetz says.

He says parents working irregular shifts are increasingly disadvantaged by childcare centres which open for limited hours and alternatives need to considered.

Although the word "nanny" might carry a particular connotation for some people, Senator Abetz said they would help shift workers in particular.

"I don't think anybody would say that a shift worker - a policeman or a nurse, an ambulance officer, a fireman - that they are engaged in the high brow activities of our society," Senator Abetz told reporters in Hobart on Tuesday.

"They have genuine practical needs."