Katie Reynolds enjoyed her job in the beverage industry, but when her 18-month maternity leave was over and she couldn't find child care for her daughter, she said she had no other choice but to quit. 

When she was seven months pregnant, Reynolds had registered her daughter on various daycare waitlists. But that still wasn't enough time to secure a spot that aligned with her full-time hours. 

"There was no way around it," said Reynolds. "I was going to become a stay-at-home parent, and that was h…