May 26, 2026
LANSING, Mich. – Family Health Care is the 300th employer to partner with the State of Michigan to offer the MI Tri-Share Child Care benefit to its employees, marking a major milestone for one of Michigan’s fastest-growing workforce support programs.
The milestone comes as MI Tri-Share is highlighted during a panel discussion at this week’s Mackinac Policy Conference hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber. The session, led by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), will feature voices from government, business and philanthropy focused on how cross-sector partnerships like MI Tri-Share help address workforce challenges while supporting children, families and Michigan’s economic future.
“At MiLEAP, we believe access to child care is critical to supporting Michigan’s workforce and economic future,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “Welcoming Family Health Care as the 300th employer to offer MI Tri-Share reflects the continued growth of this innovative program and strong collaboration between government, employers, and community partners to support Michigan families. Together, we are helping businesses attract and retain talent while supporting more parents in entering and remaining in the workforce.”
MI Tri-Share is an employer-based, publicly-supported workplace benefit that shares the cost of licensed child care equally among families, employers, and the state while helping businesses attract and retain talent, reduce turnover, and strengthen workforce participation. MiLEAP oversees the benefit in partnership with regional facilitator hubs, employers, and child care educators across the state.
Based in Baldwin and serving Lake County and surrounding rural communities, Family Health Care provides primary care, preventive services, and behavioral health support to patients of all ages. The business is in the early stages of implementing the MI Tri-Share benefit for its employees, reflecting its commitment to supporting its workforce while strengthening access to essential services in rural Michigan.
“At Family Health Care we see firsthand how access to reliable child care impacts the health and stability of families,” said Julie Tatko, CEO of Family Health Care. “Participating in MI Tri-Share allows us to better support our employees while continuing to care for our community. It’s an investment in our workforce and in the well-being of the families we serve.”
The panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Walker-Griffea and will feature Megan Russell Johnson, program officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which helped fund the MI Tri-Share work in the pilot stage; Kelli Saunders, vice president of policy and engagement for the Small Business Association of Michigan; and State Representative Greg VanWoerkom, R-Norton Shores, who sponsored the state’s initial pilot funding for MI Tri-Share and continues to support its statewide expansion.
“At the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we partner on programs that support children and families, and childcare is necessary infrastructure to support the growth and development of children and the ability of their families to find and keep jobs,” said Russell Johnson. “Our early support of MI Tri‑Share helped test the model across the state, showing what’s possible when philanthropy, government, employers, and communities come together to strengthen families and Michigan’s economy.”
“For small businesses especially, finding and keeping workers remains one of the biggest challenges,” Saunders added. “MI Tri-Share gives employers a practical tool to support employees while helping businesses stay competitive in today’s labor market.”
“MI Tri-Share is a great example of a bipartisan solution that supports both Michigan families and Michigan employers,” VanWoerkom said. “Programs like this help remove barriers that keep people out of the workforce while strengthening our economy and supporting long-term growth.”
Proposed legislation was recently passed in the state Senate and is now pending in the House that would ensure that the MI Tri-Share benefit is an option for families and businesses for years to come.
Since its launch as a state pilot in 2021, MI Tri-Share has expanded to serve employers and families in every Michigan county. Today, more than 300 employers offer the Tri-Share benefit to nearly 900 eligible employees, covering costs for 1,200 children in the care of over 840 educators. Across the state, families in all 83 Michigan counties have collectively saved more than $14 million in child care costs.
The program reduces 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. Income eligibility was expanded last year to households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty limit (FPL)—currently about $132,000 for a family of four—opening access to more working families. MiLEAP also recently introduced the MI Care-Share add on option, allowing participating employers to extend their one-third child care contribution to employees whose household incomes exceed the 400% threshold.
“Reaching 300 employers shows that MI Tri-Share is gaining momentum because businesses across Michigan are seeing the value of child care as a workforce benefit,” said Emily Laidlaw, deputy director overseeing MiLEAP’s Office of Early Education. “At the Mackinac Policy Conference, we’re looking forward to discussing how MI Tri-Share helps businesses like Family Health Care recruit and retain employees while supporting working families and strengthening Michigan’s economy.”
MI Tri-Share and Care-Share are one part of Michigan’s broader efforts to strengthen early learning, including the Child Development and Care Scholarship program, which recently reached record enrollment and supports low-income families earning up to 200% of the FPL with access affordable child care. Through the state’s Every Child Reads initiative and PreK for All, which provides free PreK to every Michigan 4-year-old regardless of family income, the state is also increasing access to stable, high-quality learning environments that support early literacy development, school readiness, and long-term success.
For more information about the MI Tri-Share Child Care benefit, including how employers can participate, visit MiLEAP’s Office of Early Education webpage.
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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.
About Family Health Care:
Family Health Care is a community-based provider in Baldwin, Michigan, serving families across Lake County and surrounding rural areas with primary care, preventive services, chronic disease management, behavioral health support, and care coordination. The organization focuses on expanding access to affordable, high-quality care while partnering with local organizations to support the health and well-being of the broader community.
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