Childcare while job hunting, what worked? - any advice?

My hours will change when I find a job and childcare is my biggest worry. I have been trying to stay organised about it. A neighbour offered help but not every day. How long did subsidies take?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Our county's childcare assistance took about 22 weeks to approve, but it covered most of the cost.