HealthWest and Peterson Farms were recognized with the Childcare Champion Award for their dedication to providing families with high-quality childcare in their communities.
Peterson Farms, an agribusiness in Oceana County, and HealthWest, a behavioral health clinic in Muskegon County were honored Wednesday, September 18 with the Childcare Champion Award at the first Michigan Childcare Champions Celebration in East Lansing. Pulse W.E. Upjohn Institute and the Early Childhood Investment Corporation hosted 11 Childcare Champions from across the state of Michigan to celebrate their dedication to innovative childcare solutions.
Childcare is frequently a barrier that keeps employees out of the workforce, along with housing and transportation issues. Peterson Farms rose to the challenge to help their employees with childcare needs by entering into a public / private partnership with Shelby Public Schools to open the Oceana Early Learning Center. Early Childhood Educators at the Oceana Early Learning Center are employees of Shelby Public Schools and are offered benefits like health insurance, which is often not available to those working in childcare. Since opening in September of 2020, the Oceana Early Learning Center has served families in the community, and is currently the only childcare center in Oceana County.
Similarly, leadership at HealthWest knew that childcare barriers weren’t going to go away on their own. The cost of care is a burden to families, especially families who might qualify as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed (ALICE) families. HealthWest entered the Tri-Share Program, a family assistance program where ⅓ of the cost of care is paid by the State of Michigan, ½ is paid by the employer, and ⅓ is paid by the employee. Since 2022 HealthWest has offered employees the option to participate in the Tri-Share Program to help with the cost of care. Each year they have increased the number of Tri-Share spots offered to their employees and now have 20 spots available. When surveyed, 36% of HealthWest employees participating in Tri-Share admitted that Tri-Share impacted their decision to remain employed at HealthWest.
