MICHIGAN, USA — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced an expansion to the state's MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program on Tuesday.
The MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program splits the cost of child care between an eligible employee, their employer and the State of Michigan, with coordination being provided regionally by a facilitator hub.
The program includes $2.5 million to continue support for this an innovative program in Michigan's 2023 budget recommendations.
The program strives to increase access to high-quality and affordable child care through a unique collaboration that leverages both state and business support.
“Expanding access to high-quality, affordable child care will help every kid succeed from day one and help parents get back to work knowing that their kids are safe and cared for,” said Gov. Whitmer. “We must continue investing in programs like Tri-Share that put Michiganders first and help us grow our economy.”
In order to qualify for the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program, participants must be employed by a participating employer, have an income above 185% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) and below 285% FPL and not otherwise be eligible for the Child Development and Care Program.
The announcement of the expansion to the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program by Gov. Whitmer highlighted seven new facilitator hubs across the state. Kent County gained Vibrant Futures, a child, family and caregiver advocacy group, as an additional facilitator hub for the Tri-Share Child Care Program.
“When affordability levers like Tri-Share are in place, we have more tools in our toolkit to provide the necessary resources to ensure that more families have help navigating the evolving work environment,” said Chana Edmond-Verley, CEO of Vibrant Futures. “We look forward to connecting more families and employers in Kent County to Tri-Share."
The other six new facilitator hubs include:
- St. Clair RESA serving St. Clair County.
- Southwest Child Care Resources serving Kalamazoo County.
- Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership serving Shiawassee County.
- Child Care Network serving Washtenaw County.
- Marquette-Alger RESA serving all the Upper Peninsula, including Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft Counties.
- Otsego County Economic Alliance, Inc. serving Otsego, Crawford, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Roscommon and Oscoda Counties.
Below is more information on the West Michigan facilitator hubs and the participating employers in the region. As the program gains traction, it is expected to expand to additional employers and hubs.
West Michigan Region Tri-Share Facilitator Hubs
Goodwill Industries of West Michigan serves as the West Michigan regional facilitator hub, serving six counties: Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and Ottawa.
Vibrant Futures serves as a facilitator hub for Kent County.
Participating Employers In The Region: Explorers Learning Center, Wesco, Muskegon Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Webb Chemical Service Corporation, Harbor Hospice, Community Encompass, Fresh Coast Alliance, Goodwill Industries of West MI and Nichols.
Facilitator Hub Contacts: Catrina Rule (crule@goodwillwm.org); Jeanette Hoyer (jhoyer@goodwillwm.org)
Learn more about the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Project here.
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