Across the country, subsidies for child care have plummeted . In Arizona, the number of children covered has dropped by almost 75 percent since 2009, according to the Children’s Action Alliance. Only 15 states allow parents looking for work to qualify, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

“Child care is often listed as the No. 1 challenge that gets in the way of women’s work participation,” said Barbara Gault, vice president and executive director of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research . Ms. Taylor said the home of the next-closest available sitter was a 30-minute drive away in the opposite direction of the interview, and she wasn’t sure if she had enough gasoline to make it.