LANSING, Mich. — State lawmakers are proposing to make a childcare cost-sharing program permanent as summer break begins and funding concerns weigh on parents.
The proposal would also allocate $10 million toward expanding Tri-Share, a program that splits childcare costs into three equal parts between parents, employers and the state.
Christina Wichert, a mother of two, has used the program since March.
"The paycheck that I make as a working parent, so much of it is just turning around and going right back into childcare," Wichert said. "Anything that covers that definitely allowed me to get back into the work force."
Representative Mai Xiong is pushing to make Tri-Share a permanent part of the budget.
"If we wanna grow our workforce, we wanna grow our population, it makes sense for us to invest in childcare as that number 1 priority so that we can grow our economy," Xiong said.
Representative Greg VanWoerkom, who helped introduce Tri-Share in 2021, said the budget question is more about need.
"Really the focus right now in Tri-Share is getting more employers to know about it and engage in it, and that will kind of determine more of how much funding needs to be established for it," VanWoerkom said.
Christina Wood, a Executive Director at the Educational Child Care Center in Lansing, said employer participation remains a challenge.
"The issue with such a wonderful program is... we need businesses to participate in this," Wood said. "We have been trying to get it out there, but it just, it hasn't really taken off yet."
Wichert said making the program permanent would provide stability for families.
"We can put that money towards other things, and it really does make a huge difference," she said.
The proposal is currently moving through the House Appropriations Committee.
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