Indiana’s Noble County Tri-Share Pilot

In Noble County, Indiana, childcare costs for two children averaged $20,000 annually, unaffordable for 44% of households classified as “ALICE”—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—leading to reliance on unlicensed care, or parents exiting the workforce. This was pronounced in rural areas with only four high-quality providers. Local manufacturers, like those in Kendallville, faced acute staffing shortages, with one in six job vacancies attributed to childcare issues, costing businesses $1.2 million annually in turnover and absenteeism.

The Noble County government partnered with Thrive by 5 and other local stakeholders to create a Tri-Share program. A dedicated $50,000 county fund covered the county’s third of the cost for each enrolled child for about one year; employers and employees cover the remaining two-thirds of the program. A local bank quickly stepped up as one of the first participating employers, willing to subsidize a portion of care for 15 children (its one-third share), with the county and parents covering the rest. This enthusiasm underscored the demand: employers were saying, “We have a problem with childcare, and were ready to be part of the solution.” The importance of Noble County’s experiment lies in its grassroots innovation. It didn’t wait for a state law or large appropriation; it used local dollars and local leadership to get started.

~12 months