March 19, 2026
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) today announced that Child Care Back Office has been selected as the Region 3 facilitator hub for the MI Tri-Share Child Care, further expanding the program’s reach across northeastern Michigan.
“As MI Tri-Share continues to grow, strong regional partners are essential to ensuring families and employers can fully benefit from this program,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “By selecting Child Care Back Office to serve Region 3, we are increasing access to affordable, licensed child care across northeastern Michigan while reinforcing local partnerships that support working families and our state’s economy.”
As the Region 3 facilitator hub, Child Care Back Office will serve as the local MI Tri-Share resource for northeastern Michigan employers, including those in Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon counties. The Otsego County Economic Alliance (OCEA) previously served portions of the region during the program’s pilot phase.
“We are excited to step into this role and continue the momentum established by the OCEA,” said Sarah Foglesong, chief executive officer at Child Care Back Office. “Access to high-quality, affordable child care is a pillar of a strong economy, and the MI Tri-Share program provides a practical solution for families and employers alike. Our team looks forward to managing these partnerships across all 11 counties to ensure more parents can confidently remain in the workforce.”
“The MI Tri‑Share Child Care Program has provided a strong foundation for connecting businesses and employees with the support they need to access affordable child care,” said Brandy Riopelle, program manager at OCEA. “The OCEA was proud to assist in navigating the process and helping employers and families get started with the program.”
MI Tri-Share is the state’s innovative, bipartisan initiative that splits the cost of licensed child care equally between an employee, their employer and the State of Michigan. Since its launch as a state pilot in 2021, the program has expanded to serve employers and families in every Michigan county, reducing the cost of licensed child care by two-thirds for eligible employees, while helping employers attract and retain talent and increasing financial stability for child care providers.
With the addition of the Region 3 facilitator hub, employers across all northeastern Michigan counties can now offer this unique workplace benefit to eligible employees with a household income of up to 400% of the federal poverty level—or about $132,000 for a family of four—opening access to even more working families.
“Regional facilitator hubs like Child Care Back Office are key to making MI Tri-Share work for families and employers across each of our state’s regions,” said Emily Laidlaw, deputy director at MiLEAP overseeing the Office of Early Education. “By connecting working families to licensed child care and supporting employers throughout the process, MI Tri-Share ensures more children have access to high-quality care and more parents can confidently stay in the workforce.”
For employees whose household income exceeds the 400% income eligibility threshold, MiLEAP also offers the MI Care-Share add-on option, which allows participating employers to extend their one-third child care contribution with administrative support from the state at no additional cost.
Today, more than 300 employers participate in MI Tri-Share, with over 980 enrolled families and nearly 1,172 children currently benefiting from shared child care payments. Across the state, families have collectively saved more than $14 million in child care costs.
To learn more about Michigan’s MI Tri-Share Child Care program and connect with a regional facilitator hub, visit the MI Tri-Share website.
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About MiLEAP:
Established by Governor Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from birth to postsecondary so anyone can ‘make it in Michigan’ with a solid education and a path to a good-paying job. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.
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