Kalamazoo County weighs expanding TriShare/CareShare child-care benefit after early demand exceeds pilot cap

Kalamazoo County administrators told commissioners the employee TriShare pilot expanded this year into Michigan’s new CareShare program and early demand outpaced initial funding projections, creating a wait list and prompting discussion of long-term funding.

HR Director Sharon Brown said the pilot began in 2024 with 37 employees enrolled and that, after CareShare rollout, the combined programs now serve about 50 employees and 68 children. "We went from 53 children to 68 children who are being served," Brown said. She explained the county capped participation initially to stretch a three‑year pilot appropriation and noted that the state’s CareShare rules prevent capping the per‑employee benefit amount while allowing caps on the number of participants.

Deputy Administrator and HR staff said the county set an initial annual allocation (previously $150,000) for the pilot and then added funds as demand grew; administration reported the program currently shows a short wait list and that processing and payroll-deduction changes complicate enrollment timing. Commissioners expressed strong support for expanding access—particularly for the lowest-paid employees—and asked staff to provide precise ongoing-cost estimates for the 2027 budgeting process.

Next steps: administration will provide budget projections, reporting and quarterly tracking through the employee benefits committee and the board’s budget process; staff also said they expect to clear most of the current wait list with administrative processing improvements.