MI FARE: Fostering Access, Rights and Equity

With funding from the US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, the Michigan Women’s Commission launched MI FARE: Fostering Access, Rights and Equity in Michigan to help women understand and access their rights, public benefits and other resources for success.

MI FARE prioritizes connecting Michigan women to child care, pathways to higher-paying jobs, resources for exercising workplace and civil rights, and other public benefits.

Watch a video about MI FARE.

Watch our full MI FARE Webinar Series playlist.

Read the announcement of our MI FARE initiative.

CHILD CARE

• Watch our MI FARE Webinar: Michigan’s Child Care Support. Download the Michigan’s Child Care Support presentation slides.
  • Michigan’s child care subsidy (called Child Development and Care, or CDC) offers support for free or low-cost high-quality child care – and more families than ever are eligible! Learn more at Michigan.gov/childcare.
  • Easily check if you qualify for Michigan’s child care subsidy using the Eligibility Calculator.
  • Apply online for Michigan’s child care subsidy at Michigan.gov/MIBridges, or print a paper application.
  • Download the Child Care Eligibility Expansion Handout.
• Watch our MI FARE Webinar: MI Tri-Share Child Care. Download the MI Tri-Share Child Care presentation slides.
  • MI Tri-Share Child Care is an innovative opportunity to split child care costs evenly between an employee, their employer, and the State of Michigan. Learn more at Michigan.gov/TriShare.
  • MI Tri-Share Child Care picks up where Michigan’s child care subsidy cuts off. View MI Tri-Share employee eligibility guidelines.
  • Find current MI Tri-Share regions, participating employers, information for interested employers, promotional resources, and more at Michigan.gov/TriShare.
• Need help finding child care? Find local licensed care online at Great Start to Quality or call the Child Development and Care (CDC) Help Desk at 866-990-3227.
  • Find additional child care, preschool, and other State of Michigan programs at Michigan.gov/MIKidsMatter.
  • In Wayne County? Connect4Care Kids is a centralized resource from the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to help Wayne County families find child care providers and child care assistance options.

PATHWAYS TO HIGHER WAGES

• Watch our MI FARE Webinar: Michigan Reconnect. Download the Michigan Reconnect presentation slides.
  • Free community college tuition for Michiganders age 25+? Yes! Learn more at Michigan.gov/Reconnect.
  • Learn how Michigan Reconnect is changing lives.

• Watch our MI FARE Webinar: Registered Apprenticeships. Download the Registered Apprenticeships presentation slides.
  • Workers who complete apprenticeship programs earn an average of $300,000 more over their career when compared to peers who don't. Learn more at Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship.
  • Registered Apprenticeships allow you to earn while you learn – like college without the debt.

• Watch our MI FARE Webinar: Adult Education. Download the Adult Education presentation slides.
  • People with a high school credential can earn more than $7,800 more per year than those without one. Learn more at Michigan.gov/LearnMoreEarnMore.
  • Free and low-cost adult education programs provide opportunities to improve education levels, obtain a high school credential, or become better English speakers.

WORKPLACE AND CIVIL RIGHTS

• Watch our MI FARE Webinar: Wage and Hour Laws. Download the Wage and Hour Laws presentation slides.
  • Learn about laws that protect your wages and fringe benefits, including paid medical leave, at Michigan.gov/WageHour.

• If you have questions about occupational safety, visit the Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration (MIOSHA).
• Learn more about employment protections for workers who are pregnant or nursing.
• Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination – and it’s illegal.
• What to do if you’ve experienced discrimination.
• Michigan’s Workplace Rights resources page.
• Find additional resources from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights at Michigan.gov/mdcr.

OTHER RESOURCES FOR ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION

• Apply online for healthcare coverage, cash assistance, Food Assistance Program (FAP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Child Development and Care (CDC) and State Emergency Relief (SER) through the MI Bridges platform.
• Call 211 or visit 211.org for help accessing local food, housing, financial, utility, and other forms of assistance.
• Resources for women veterans or call 1-800-MICH-VET.
• Michigan’s Sexual Assault Hotline is available by phone at 1-855-864-2374, by chat at www.mcedsv.org/hotline/hotline-chat, or by text to 1-866-238-1454.
• Find domestic violence services in your area, or get help by phone at 866-VOICEDV (866-864-2338), by text to 877-861-0222, or by TTY at 517-898-5533.
• Workplaces Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence: A National Resource Center

The Michigan Women’s Commission’s MI FARE initiative was launched by a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau.