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Nonprofit in WNC receives $25,000 grant to start a Tri-Share Childcare Initiative

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Students at Quaker Meadows Generations in Morganton play during their first day back to school in 2025. Liz Bell/EdNC

WNCSource recently received a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County to launch a Tri-Share Childcare Initiative in Henderson County. According to a press release, the program will decrease barriers to accessing high-quality childcare for families in western North Carolina, dividing the cost of care equally between employers, the state, and families.

WNCSource is a nonprofit that serves families in western North Carolina, operating 15 childcare centers across Henderson, Transylvania, Rutherford, and Polk counties, which support over “500 children and families annually.” The grant will support those centers’ employees, which WNCSource CEO David White believes will support the local economy.

“Access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential for working families and for the strength of our local workforce,” said White in the press release. “Tri-Share offers a practical and innovative way to bring employers, families and the state together to address the rising cost of childcare.”

Tri-Share, a state pilot to reduce child care costs, opens to businesses statewide

WNCSource will collaborate with the Children & Family Resource Center and the Henderson County Early Childhood Task Force to launch a pilot program for its employees, the press release says, but plans to expand the program to partner with local employers.

Recent research has found that the cost of childcare has significantly increased in the last several years, with families paying between and $10,381 and $12,370 on average annually, depending on the age of the child.

Many families opt for one caregiver to stay home with the child, in part due to the expense of care. In North Carolina, research by the First Five Years Fund found that 64% of children 5 and under have all available parents in the workforce. Decreasing barriers to childcare will “help working parents remain in the workforce while improving household financial stability,” the release says.

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The Tri-Share program that the grant supports is an existing $1.8 million public-private partnership that launched as a pilot in North Carolina in 2024, which now covers all 100 counties. The goals of the program are:

  • Making high-quality child care affordable and accessible for working families
  • Helping employers retain and attract employees
  • Supporting the stabilization of child care businesses across the state
Graphic by Lanie Sorrow

Families in a county served by a Smart Start Local Partnership administering NC Tri-Share may participate in the program if their household income is between 185% and 300% of the federal poverty level. You can find a breakdown of qualifying incomes based on household size here.

Even with the income restrictions, the release says the program has the potential to “help thousands of families across western North Carolina.” Overall, eligible families will see their childcare expenses decrease by up to 66%.

In the release, WNCSource expressed their gratitude to the Community Foundation of Henderson County for “its support in bringing innovative solutions like Tri-Share within reach of Henderson County employers and families.”