Lower Your Child Care
Costs by 66%!
If the high cost of child care has prevented you from pursuing a great job, MI Tri-Share is for you!
benefits
Employee Benefits of Participating in the MI Tri-Share Program
Split the
Cost
Child care cost is split equally three ways between you, your employer, and the State of Michigan.
Parent Choice
Parents can select any licensed child care provider(s) in Michigan.
Types of care covered could include Traditional Care (part or full-time), Before and After School Care, Preschool, Summer Care and Summer Camps.
Families may also utilize more than one child care provider.
Streamline Payments
Payment for child care is made directly to your provider by the MI Tri-Share administrative partner. Your employer will collect 1/3 of child care costs from you through payroll deduction or another method.
Requirements
Eligibility
Requirements
Employee eligibility will be determined based on the employee’s family size and household income. Employees must have a household income between 200%-400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
Employees must not be eligible for the Child Development and Care Program (CDC, commonly referred to as child care scholarship). Once an employee is deemed eligible, they are eligible for 2 years from their benefit start date, unless their employer has other parameters for the benefit.
If you are unsure if your family falls into the qualifying range, please apply, and the MI Tri-Share administrative partner team will assist you.
MI Tri-Share Program Eligibility 2026
Employee Responsibilites
What are my responsibilities?
- Fill out the application HERE if your employer participates.
- Provide information to the MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff as requested.
- Determine the total cost of care for each child for the next quarter (be sure to account for vacation, snow days, half days etc.)
- Sign payroll deduction paperwork from your employer or submit your 1/3 contribution to your employer using the method they specify.
- Fill out a care change form if you change your care days, hours, or child care provider.
- Agree to fill out a survey of the program (no personal information will be asked).
- Employees are responsible for informing the MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff of any employment status change and are 100% responsible for all child care costs from the termination date.
It’s just that EASY!
Participating Employers
For a full list with a search option click here.
Are you a participating employee who has a story to share about how MI Tri-Share has impacted your family?
You ask, we answer
MI Tri-Share is an employer-based benefit and your employer may have set parameters and a budget to support the program. Employers have flexibility to decide how the child care slots will be allocated. Possible ways to make this determination include:
- Each family receives one child care slot/family receives multiple child care slots
- First come, first serve process
- Employee lottery/random selection
- Employee needs (i.e., closest to 200% FPL)
Only licensed child care and camps in Michigan can be covered. Depending on your employer’s guidelines, the benefit can cover full-time and part-time care, preschool, before and after school care, summer care, summer camps, or a combination of these choices.
MI Tri-Share is designed to cover children ages 0-12; however, employers can choose to extend coverage through age 17. Check with your employer or the MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff to find out the details of your employer’s coverage.
Are you searching for child care options? Click Here
Are you searching for licensed summer camps? Click Here
Employee eligibility will be determined based on the employee’s household size and gross monthly income (before tax) for all adults from all sources. Currently, employees must have a household income between 200%-400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Please refer to the income chart on the main page.
If household income is below 200% FPL, the MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff will connect you with information to apply for the CDC program, as it may be more beneficial for your family. Employees eligible for the Child Development and Care Program (CDC) are not eligible for MI Tri-Share.
MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff will review your uploaded documentation of gross (before tax) wages, spouse/partner gross wages (if applicable), and all other sources of household income, such as a second job, child support, alimony, etc., to determine your family’s eligibility.
MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff will contact your child care provider to verify hours and rates of care. Confirm those rates with you and have you determine your total care costs for the next quarter. They will then contact your employer to determine the benefit start date (based on payroll cycles) and provide a breakdown of the employee, employer, and state weekly rates.
The MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff will begin paying your child care provider for the total care costs from the determined benefit start date.
**Please note that registration fees, one-time fees, and balances prior to the benefit start date are not covered by the MI Tri-Share program. MI Tri-Share also ends if your employment status changes.**
Your employer will collect your portion of child care costs through payroll deduction or another method. The employer will send the employee and employer portions to the MI Tri-Share state administrative partner as invoiced.
The MI Tri-Share state administrative partner will then bill the State of Michigan for the remaining portion.
Your child care provider will invoice the MI Tri-Share state administrative partner, and they will pay your child care provider for care with the employee, employer, and state of Michigan contributions.
Employees are 100% responsible for their child care costs from the termination date if they separate from a participating employer. Contact us HERE to report a termination.
The employee or child care provider will need to fill out a Care Change Form linked here. Both parties must agree they are aware of and approve of the change. The form will then be directed to the MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff to process.
Changes may take up to 30 days to initiate. Parents are responsible for paying for any increase while this is in process.
The way your employer has set up the benefit will determine whether or not you will be taxed on your portion of the child care expenses and your employer’s contribution.
Please view the MI Tri-Share tax document HERE for more information. Please always consult your tax professional or CPA if you have questions about tax considerations.
If your employment status changes, you and your employer must inform the MI Tri-Share administrative partner staff immediately.
MI Tri-Share is an employer-based benefit. The employee is responsible for 100% of their care costs from the termination date, regardless of who initiated the change.
Contact us HERE to report a termination.
Yes, eligibility can be determined based on seasonal income.
Employees must sign and adhere to any type of agreement put forth by the MI Tri-Share administrative partner. Child care costs are only covered by MI Tri-Share while the employee is employed.
If an employment separation occurs, as of the termination date, 100% of child care costs are the employee’s responsibility.
Employees may also be asked to participate in data-collection processes conducted by the evaluation team. These may include, but are not limited to, focus groups, surveys, and interviews.