Helping people prepare for, find, and keep good jobs is what Goodwill is about.

The MI Tri-Share Child Care Program is a new innovative approach to increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care for working families. The “tri-share” model splits the cost of child care three-ways — between state funding, employers enrolled in the program, and eligible employees.

PRESS RELEASE

MUSKEGON, MI — Goodwill Industries of West Michigan (GIWM) has been designated as one of three regional facilitator hubs for the new MI Tri-Share Child Care Program. The one-year grant was awarded by the Michigan Women’s Commission, housed within the State of Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO).

The MI Tri-Share Child Care Program is a new innovative approach to increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care for working families. The “tri-share” model splits the cost of child care three-ways — between state funding, employers enrolled in the program, and eligible employees.

Goodwill will service Muskegon County. The other two regional facilitator hubs chosen are: Saginaw Intermediate School District, serving the Great Lakes Bay Region; and the United Way of Northwest Michigan, serving a five-county rural region in Northwest Lower Michigan.

Goodwill will be responsible for recruiting and partnering with employers, collaborating with child care providers, assisting employees in securing child care services, and administration and program management functions. The initiative already has local support from area employers who are diverse in size and industry, including several of Muskegon County’s largest employers.

“This pilot program offers a solution to both employers and their workers regarding the lack of quality, affordable child care which continues to be a significant barrier to employment,” said Goodwill President and CEO Jeanette Hoyer. “The availability and affordability of child care limits work choices, disproportionately impacting women and low-income parents.”

GIWM is a founding member of the Muskegon County Child Care Action Team and is committed to creating sustainable solutions for making high-quality, affordable child care accessible to working families. To that end, GIWM is currently helping to establish a new children’s learning center in Muskegon in partnership with the Muskegon YMCA. The center is planned to open this June.