Kids 1st Coalition asks Bannock County to renew $25,000 seed grant for Tri Share childcare program

The Kids 1st Coalition asked Bannock County commissioners on Wednesday to renew a $25,000 seed contribution that helped launch Tri Share, a childcare cost‑sharing program the coalition says can help keep parents employed and stabilize local businesses.

Sadie McMorris Putt, administrative coordinator for the Kids 1st Coalition, and Chantae Blocks, chief executive officer of United Way of Southeastern Idaho (the program’s fiscal agent), updated commissioners on year‑one activity and requested the same $25,000 county contribution made last year.

The presenters said Tri Share, which splits childcare costs so families pay one‑third, employers one‑third and public funds cover the remaining third, launched Oct. 1 with donations from Bannock County and local donors. "With Bannock County support, Tri Share has successfully launched in Southeast Idaho," McMorris Putt said, thanking the county for seed funding and asking for continued investment to increase employer participation and family enrollment.

Why it matters: Presenters framed Tri Share as a workforce stability program that keeps parents in jobs and reduces absenteeism and turnover for employers. In a recorded segment shown to the board, a presenter said Idaho faced a childcare‑driven workforce crisis in 2024, citing figures that included thousands of parents reducing hours or leaving the workforce; presenters used those numbers to underline urgency for local action.

What the county funded and current scale: Presenters reported that Bannock County contributed $25,000 last year and said year‑one investments supported outreach (108 employers contacted), 12 employer meetings in Bannock County, and marketing. They said three employers have enrolled, two families are actively receiving supports (three children total), and three larger employers have pending contracts that are undergoing legal review.

Funding and grants: The coalition said it received grant funding through the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children and advanced to the final round of a national grant competition, with presenters referencing potential awards of $2,500,000 or $5,000,000. "The national grant opportunity that we did apply for and have made to the final round to bring in potentially $5,000,000 to Southeastern Idaho wouldn't have been possible without the seed money from Bannock County," Blocks said. Presenters said the county contribution helped demonstrate local partnership when applying for larger funding.

County questions and budget sourcing: Commissioners asked whether last year’s contribution came from ARPA, PILT or general funds; a county official on the dais did not recall the precise source and said it may have come from general funds or reserves. Presenters reiterated their request for $25,000 again this year and said additional funding would accelerate employer enrollment and regional expansion.

Provider sustainability and local impact: The coalition warned of provider instability, reporting three local childcare providers had closed in roughly the past eight weeks and that more facilities could be at risk without support. McMorris Putt said the closures referenced were in the Portneuf Valley area between Pocatello and Chubbuck (as stated in the presentation). Presenters estimated the highest public cost scenario for a full‑time infant slot is about $3,000 a year in public funds, presented as an approximate figure to illustrate scale.

Next steps: Commissioners did not take a formal vote during the update. Presenters requested that the commissioners consider repeating the $25,000 contribution to sustain and scale Tri Share while the coalition pursues state and national grants. The meeting adjourned and commissioners said they would reconvene at the jail at 1:30 p.m. for the next agenda item.