MI Tri-Share: A Child Care Benefit That Supports Michigan’s Workforce

For many working parents, access to affordable, reliable child care can make a significant difference in their ability to enter the workforce, remain employed, and pursue career opportunities. At the same time, employers across Michigan are looking for new ways to attract and retain employees in a competitive labor market.

MI Tri-Share Child Care Program (MI Tri-Share) offers employers an opportunity to address both challenges by helping make child care more affordable for their employees.

What is MI Tri-Share?

MI Tri-Share is a workforce development initiative that splits the cost of an employee’s child care three ways: the employer, the employee, and the State of Michigan.

Each party contributes one-third of the cost of eligible child care, helping reduce the financial burden for working families while providing employers with a valuable employee benefit.

The program is administered statewide by United Way of Northwest Michigan (UWNWMI), which helps streamline enrollment, payments, and other administrative processes. The program is designed so employers of any size can offer the benefit without taking on significant additional staff time.

How Does MI Tri-Share Work?

For participating employees, the cost of child care is split three ways:

• Employer: 33.33%

• Employee: 33.33%

• State of Michigan: 33.33%

Employers are responsible for paying their portion of the child care cost and collecting the employee's portion. Payroll deduction is recommended, but employers can choose the method that works best for their organization.

UWNWMI handles payments to participating child care providers and invoices employers monthly or bimonthly for the applicable costs. The program allows for flexibility when an employee's child care needs change, such as changes in care hours or rates.

Who Can Participate?

MI Tri-Share is available to employers across industries as long as the employer is based in Michigan or has an office in Michigan. Participating employers can make the benefit available to employees who have dependent children ages 0–12, or up to age 17 if the employer chooses to extend coverage.

Employees must:

• Reside in Michigan

• Use licensed child care in Michigan

• Meet the program's income eligibility requirements

Family choice is an important part of MI Tri-Share. Employees who do not currently have licensed child care can receive assistance identifying providers that best fit their family's needs.

What Does MI Tri-Share Mean for Employers?

For employers, MI Tri-Share can serve as more than just a child care benefit. It can be a workforce development tool that helps address one of the barriers that can prevent employees from entering or remaining in the workforce.

Offering assistance with child care costs can help employers:

• Strengthen recruitment and retention efforts

• Support working parents on their teams

• Reduce barriers to employment

Employers also do not have to manage the entire program on their own. UWNWMI helps coordinate enrollment, provider payments, and program administration.

How Is Employee Eligibility Determined?

Employees of participating employers begin the process by signing up through MITriShare.org. During enrollment, employees provide information about their household, including:

• Household composition

• Monthly gross wages for the employee and, when applicable, a spouse or partner

• Additional household income, such as child support, pensions, or alimony

UWNWMI verifies the household's income and may contact the employee if additional information is needed. Eligibility is generally reassessed every two years from the employee's benefit start date, unless an employer establishes different parameters for its program. Employees who already have a licensed child care provider can continue using that provider, with UWNWMI working with the provider to establish costs and payment arrangements.

Is MI Tri-Share Right for Your Business?

Every employer has different workforce needs, but child care can be an important consideration for businesses looking to attract and retain employees. MI Tri-Share provides Michigan employers with an opportunity to invest directly in their workforce while helping employees access more affordable child care.

Interested in learning more or determining whether MI Tri-Share could work for your organization? Get in touch with our office at 989-269-6431 or info@huroncounty.com.