I'm a military spouse and childcare drained my savings. My husband and I lived paycheck to paycheck for a year.

• Kayla Corbitt is a military wife and nonprofit founder who turned down a job because of childcare.
• She spent $5,000 for four months' worth of part-time daycare services while she searched for work.
• Corbit says many military families need help with navigating the childcare system.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kayla Corbitt, a 35-year-old nonprofit founder and military wife from San Antonio, Texas, about having to turn down a job because of childcare. It's been edited for length and clarity.