Megan Sewell is caught in a dilemma. Without a job, she can’t afford day care. But without day care, she can’t find a job.

State officials say parents should be able to fill out the universal preschool application in about five minutes.

Magic Memories Preschool and Child Care Center provides the Pre-K Counts program at its Collegeville facility, extending grant-funded educational opportunities to eligible three- and four-year-old ...