Can we get assistance for daycare?

So I am dating a man who has a child and have been for a while.

I really don’t want to speak on what’s going on in the mother’s life, that is NOT my business but I need to add this for it to make sense.

She is not well mentally and I won’t say what her mental illness is but it is crippling and she is using drugs. As of right now, they have split custody but she’s not caring for him when its her turn to have him, her parents are and those words came from their mouths.

She also sent him a text the other day stating that she wants to sign away her rights over to him. He’s more than willing to have full custody but really sad for his son because that’s his mom and that..I mean I’m sure you understand.

I’m in a position where I need a job and I’m applying at daycares. I have this idea that we can get him into daycare, and I can just be at daycare with him since I’m deciding I want to work there anyways. I have years worth of experience in childcare and feel like it’s my calling.

I don’t know how this stuff works though. What I do know after working in daycare is that it’s extremely expensive. Is there anyway someone can get assistance for childcare so both parents and “step parents” can work? (Idk what else I would call myself but I am already involved and would be even more involved when she signs her rights away.

It would only be for less than a year, after that he starts kindergarten