Bluffton council backs tri‑share childcare pilot resolution to press state support

Orlando Lewis, director of the Head Start program for Beaufort and Jasper counties and chair of the local early‑childhood task force, told the town council the tri‑share model divides childcare costs roughly one‑third each among employer, employee and state and is designed for families who earn too much to qualify for subsidies but cannot comfortably afford childcare. Lewis presented examples from Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky and asked Bluffton to adopt a resolution endorsing the pilot so local municipalities can press the state for administrative support.

Council members questioned eligibility thresholds and whether the state would administer the program. Lewis said the state has been presented with the model and that local municipalities would serve as partners while the state determines eligibility criteria. Several council members emphasized that the resolution requests state support only and does not commit local funds.

Council member (speaker 3) moved approval of the resolution requesting that the Bluffton area delegation support a tri‑share pilot; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Council minutes record the vote as unanimous; no roll‑call vote tally of individual yes‑votes was read into the record. Council members and presenters said a pilot could improve childcare affordability, increase provider payment stability and support workforce retention for local employers.

The resolution will be included in outreach to state legislators and other Lowcountry municipalities to seek broader buy‑in and to explore whether the state will serve as the program administrator if adopted.