Devon County Council is looking to take on a team of unpaid volunteers who will patch up potholes on the county's roads.
The authority already has snow wardens and flood wardens who are available to help in incidents of severe weather. It has also raised the possibility of asking members of the community to start gritting roads when temperatures start to plummet.
But now it appears it is investigating whether volunteers could carry out repairs to the road network when potholes appear.
Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet member for highway management, said the volunteers would be covered by the council's insurance and costs of repairs would be covered.
He told the BBC: "They will be able to go out and fill a pothole and make it safe temporarily until we can come out and make a permanent repair."
But the move has been criticised by motoring watchdogs who say the authority is trying to do the job on the cheap.
Justine Roberts, CEO and founder of Mumsnet, said the cost of childcare in the UK was a "perennial concern" for parents.
"Over a third of our users say the cost has forced them to seriously consider whether they could afford to return to work following maternity leave," she said.
"For first-time parents in particular, there are a baffling array of infant products on the market.
"And as the kids get older the cost of the basics only heads in one direction, with the added pressure of unexpected expenses like school trips popping up."
These concerns were echoed by expectant mother Lisa Clark, from Plymouth, who said childcare costs were a big financial factor for her.
"My husband is in the Navy and at the moment he's based in London. I absolutely want to work and progress my career further but it looks like I'd be in a position where most of my salary will be spent on childcare," she said.
"So either I don't work and then I don't have to pay childcare, but my career stalls; or I work to pay for childcare and feel guilty that I have strangers bringing up my child and I'm not any better off financially."
The Halifax report also revealed that children cost parents the most in their first year of life, with families spending roughly £8,500 on baby products, food and equipment for their newborn.
Food was found to incur the second highest costs for parents, averaging £77.78 a month but gradually increasing with age.
Stuart James, who is raising his two-year-old son, Stanley, in Paignton, said he was surprised by the research.
"We make Stanley eat what we eat, so I wouldn't say we 'spend' £77 on food for him," he said.
"Obviously our shopping bill is more than it used to be because we have his mouth to feed as well, but I wouldn't say nearly £80 a month more."
He added that while the figures could be off-putting for many prospective parents, there were many ways to reduce expenditure.
"My son needed a new bed as he had grown out of his cot, but instead of buying a new one, I looked on Gumtree. I managed to pick up a Gautier car bed, which retails at £900 for just £75," he explained.
"You also find that because kids grow so quickly, they are soon too big for their clothes, so by selling them online you can make some money to reinvest in 'new' clothes for your children.
"I don't deny that the cost of raising children is high, but there are certainly ways and means in which it can be made more affordable."
