MI Tri-Share Child Care Program

MI Tri-Share

Child Care Program

Upper Peninsula Hub

When your employer participates in the MI Tri-Share Child Care Program (MI Tri-Share) and you are eligible to participate, you can receive these child care benefits as a parent of a child 0-17.

• Affordable Care
  • Three entities share the cost of your child's care. You, your employer, and the State of Michigan. When your employer participates in Tri-Share and you qualify, your child care cost is reduced by 66%!
• Your Choice of Provider
  • Any licensed child care provider can be used to provide care for any child age 0-17 with MI Tri-Share. This includes, but is not limited to preschool, childcare, before and after school care, and summer programs.
• Convenience
  • Payment for child care is made directly to your provider through your Tri-Share hub, Marquette-Alger RESA. Your employer will deduct your 1/3 of your child care cost from your earnings to make this payment for you.
• More Connections
  • Don't have a child care provider? Call 906.228.3362 for the Great Start to Quality Upper Peninsula Resource Center for available child care in our community.

• Where to Start
  • Complete the MI Tri-Share Interest Form below.
• What's Next
  • Once you complete the MI Tri-Share Interest form, your information will be processed for eligibility and we will reach out with the determination. Supports or connections will be extended in either situation.
• Eligibility
  • Eligible employers must be located in the Upper Peninsula. There is no residency requirement for employees or child care providers.
  • Eligible employees will have household income between 201% and 325% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) relative to the number of individuals in the household (see FPL Calculator). A participating employee cannot be eligible for the Child Development and Care Program (commonly called the child care subsidy) through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Is your employer not signed up yet?

Give your employer or HR department the MI Tri-Share Informational Sheet and have them reach out to Tyler Gualdoni (tgualdoni@maresa.org or 906.315.6051).

Are you a parent with questions? 

Reach out to Lyndsay Carey (lcarey@maresa.org or 906.226.5136). 

MI Tri-Share

Child Care Program

Upper Peninsula Hub

Program Overview for Employers - Upper Peninsula

The overall purpose of Tri-Share program is to improve affordability, access and quality of childcare through implementing a model by which the state, the employer and the employee can share equal responsibility for childcare by contributing one-third of the total cost. It is believed that offering this benefit to employees will improve the ability of employers to attract and retain talent, thereby fueling economic impact and growth.

The program is being offered by the State of Michigan through the Michigan Women’s Commission. In the Upper Peninsula (U.P.), Marquette-Alger RESA (MARESA) is administering the program.

Eligible employers must be located in the U.P. but there is no residency requirement for employees or childcare providers.

Eligible employees will have a household income between 201% and 325% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) relative to the number of individuals in the household (see the FPL Calculator here).

Employee eligibility will be determined using the following process:

• Employees of participating employers will sign up using the form below and provide information about household composition (adults and children), annual salary of the employee, and income earned by a spouse/partner if applicable.
• MARESA will provide employers with a list of employees who have signed up along with the self- reported salary/wages that the employee reported.
• Employers will confirm that the employee salary information submitted is accurate.
• Eligibility will be determined once every two years. 
• Verification of the self-reported income of a spouse/partner may be conducted.

Funds may be used for any licensed childcare provided to children ages 0-17 years, including but not limited to preschool, childcare, before-and-after school care and summer programs.

Employer Requirements and Considerations

• Employers participating in the program will make the program available to one or more employees with dependent children between ages 0-17 years.
• Employers agree to review and confirm or correct employee salary information to determine employee eligibility.
• Employers agree to cover one-third (1/3) the cost of childcare for eligible employees and will create a new employee benefit to allow for this payment.
• Employers will set up the employee payment using payroll deduction; then on a monthly basis, employers will provide payment to MARESA via ACH for two-thirds (2/3) the cost of childcare (employer and employee portion). MARESA will then provide full payment to providers and will submit to the State of Michigan for reimbursement.
• If a participating employee changes childcare providers, employers will accommodate changes in payment arrangements within the terms established for the benefit.

MARESA Requirements and Considerations

• MARESA will serve as the ‘facilitator hub’ for the program.
• If an eligible employee has an existing childcare provider when enrolling, a program representative will contact the childcare and enroll the provider.
• If an eligible employee does NOT have childcare, the Resource Center will provide resources to locate a provider who meets the employee’s needs.
• MARESA will enroll as many eligible employees as possible to be able to access up to an annual allocation of $300,000 in State of Michigan funds. MARESA may cap program enrollment if adding additional employees could exceed the amount of this grant.

Additional questions? Reach out to Tyler Gualdoni (tgualdoni@maresa.org or 906.315.6051) or Lyndsay Carey (lcarey@maresa.org or 906.226.5136). 

Not sure where your family falls on the Federal Poverty Level scale?

Check out the FPL Calculator and enter your Gross Income and family size!

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