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Business and SoloCo presenters urge Beaufort County committee to back 'Tri Share' childcare demonstration
Summary
Tom Hens of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber and SoloCo presenters asked the committee to approve a template resolution supporting a state Tri Share childcare demonstration in Beaufort and Jasper counties; the committee voted to forward a localized version to county council.
Tom Hens, identifying himself as a representative of the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and member of a SoloCo subcommittee on childcare, told the Community Services Committee that local leaders should back a state demonstration project called Tri Share to make childcare more affordable. Hens described child care costs, cited recent studies and asked the committee to sign a template resolution and forward it to county council and the county’s legislative delegation.
A colleague (Speaker 13) said the proposal is modeled on Michigan’s Tri Share program and proposed a 50–25–25 cost-sharing model in which parents cover half the cost while the state and employers split the remaining half. He told the committee that, locally, there are an estimated 3,000 children under age 5 and roughly 500 children on waiting lists for care; presenters and members cited studies estimating statewide economic losses from insufficient childcare and urged county support to press state agencies to act.
Committee member (Speaker 3, who moved) asked staff to complete the template for Beaufort County and the committee voted unanimously to approve forwarding the localized resolution to county council for further action with state agencies.
Why it matters: Presenters argued the Tri Share pilot could expand capacity and reduce barriers to workforce participation by sharing costs among parents, employers and the state. The committee’s endorsement is a local advocacy step; any demonstration would require state action and implementation by state agencies.
Key quote: “Childcare is expensive…we believe the 50, 25, 25 model is preferable,” Tom Hens said, and presenters asked the committee to “pass the resolution” to signal local support.
Next steps: The committee directed staff to prepare a finalized county-specific resolution for consideration by county council and transmission to the county’s legislative delegation and relevant state agencies.
