LANSING — The state of Michigan has recently expanded its Tri-Share childcare program, an initiative that supporters say helps address some of Northern Michigan’s most pressing issues.
Tri-Share refers to how the costs of childcare are split — one-third each is paid by the employee, employer and the state.
Since being established five years ago, the state says Tri-Share has drawn participation from nearly 300 employers and impacted more than 900 families statewide.
To be eligible for the assistance, families must be between 200% and 400% of the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that’s between $64,000 and $128,000.
Tri-Share is also administered by United Way of Northwest Michigan, and director Kristina Bajtka says the program could make it easier for families to live in Northern Michigan.
“The three biggest barriers are child care, transportation and housing — and so I believe that this is one piece that has been put into place to assist employers in attraction and retention of workforce,” she said. “When state government and local employers work together, I think that all of us are more successful.”
Bajtka says that it can be easier for employers to offer Tri-Share compared to running or starting their own initiatives.
“It gives them an option of helping in the child care arena without doing all of the lifting themselves,” she said.
Close to 40 Northern Michigan employers are enrolled in the Tri-Share program, including BATA and a handful of childcare centers.
“Childcare is the backbone of America’s workforce,” said Makaila Rastello, director of the Cedar Creek Childcare Center. “If people cannot go back to work, our economy does suffer, and people are having a hard time affording that, even if they have a good paying job.”
A new initiative from the state called Care-Share removes the pre-existing income requirements, potentially expanding access to higher earners.
Care-Share also cuts the state out of the equation, drawing in one-third from employers and two-thirds from employees.
Around a third of Northern Michigan employers participating in Tri-Share have also decided to enroll in Care-Share.
Supporters say that expanded access to childcare can play a crucial role in Northern Michigan attracting and retaining talent.
“Employees can reduce the amount of their expenditure that they have on child care if they use one of the agencies that the Tri-Share partners with,” said Chris Davis, interim executive director of BATA. “It allows us to hire on more employees that are in need of daycare, because this is such a good benefit to them, childcare or after-school programs.”
Davis says that two employees are currently utilizing the program and that other workers have in the past.