Mae Smith is making it work, but it hasn’t been easy finding affordable — or at times, even realistic — child care in New York City.

After giving birth in 2022, Smith and her husband have tried multiple daycares in Brooklyn: A program through 4 p.m., forcing Smith, a city worker, to change her hours . Another site that, for $25,200 annually, would take their toddler just four days per week, relying on grandparents filled the gap .

As her son turns 3 in November, Smith was relieved to qualify this year for the city’s free 3-K program and had a provider in mind close to their Flatbush home. But when the young parents inquired about after-school to align with their work schedules, the cost — $1,500 per month — was a non-starter: “We couldn’t even rank it,” she said.

“We both have goo

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