The New Look of American Adoptions!
American Adoptions has launched our newly redesigned Web site! Our new site not only includes a new look and feel, but also contains easier-to-use information categories and expanded articles. Visit the new American Adoptions Web site today!
Top 100 Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in America
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption honors employers offering adoption benefits
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has released its list of the nation's Top 100 Adoption-Friendly Workplaces.
The Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in America list includes the top 100
organizations that provide exceptional support to employees who adopt. Rankings are
based on the amount of financial assistance and paid leave provided. The foundation
compiled the results from survey data collected from 753 U.S. employers.
The Top 10 Adoption-Friendly Workplaces include:
- Wendy's International, Inc.
Maximum Financial Assistance: $24,300
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 6
- Citizens Financial Group, Inc./RBS Americas
Maximum Financial Assistance: $22,150
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 1
- (tie) LSI Corporation
Maximum Financial Assistance: $15,000
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 2
- (tie) United Business Media LLC
Maximum Financial Assistance: $15,000
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 2
- (tie) Liquidnet
Maximum Financial Assistance: $15,000
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 2
- Subaru of America
Maximum Financial Assistance: $12,150
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 2
- Bowen Engineering Corporation
Maximum Financial Assistance: $12,000
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 13
- Timberland
Maximum Financial Assistance: $12,000
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 2
- Barilla America, Inc.
Maximum Financial Assistance: $12,000
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 1
- Time, Inc.
Maximum Financial Assistance: $11,000
Maximum Weeks Paid Leave: 1
To view the complete Top 100 list, click here.
Bringing Adoption Benefits to the Workplace
Toolkits available to employers, employees
You don't have to work for one of the Top 100 Adoption-Friendly Workplaces to receive adoption benefits from your employer.
An initiative from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, called the Adoption-Friendly Workplace Program, is aimed at empowering
adoptive parents to lobby their employers for adoption benefits.
To encourage the implementation of employer-provided adoption benefits, the Adoption-Friendly Workplace Program has free toolkits
available for both employees and employers. The employee toolkit includes templates and advice for proposing adoption benefits to an employer,
while the employer toolkit includes tools and tips on how to easily implement adoption benefits into their benefits program.
Questions & Answers With Laurie
 Laurie
Walker
Hello everyone, my name is Laurie Walker and I am an Adoptive Family Specialist with American Adoptions.
I have worked with many birth mothers and adoptive families in my time here at
American Adoptions and love being able to watch families form through adoption.
Q.
We are going to be 1st time parents when our adoption happens and were wondering if we should take some sort of parenting class and if so, where
do we find one?
A.
This is a great question and one that I get asked a lot so many others must have first time parent jitters…I know I did as well before I became
a parent. Here's some advice I hope you'll find helpful:
Many hospitals offer great preparation classes for 1st time parents. However, when working on an adoption plan, there are pros and cons to
attending these classes. It is true that some great parenting information can come out of attending these classes so it can certainly be
beneficial. The biggest negative I've heard from others is that it can be emotionally difficult to attend these classes with other couples who
are pregnant knowing that even if you are currently in a match with a birth mother, there still is that risk that it will not be a successful
adoption.
So…you are probably wondering what you can do instead of attending a class like this if you too feel it might be too emotionally
difficult. There are many other options. A few hospitals offer parenting classes that are specifically tailored to adoptive couples. You are
very lucky if your home town hospital offers this as this is still pretty new. Other hospitals offer refresher courses for grandparents. Some
couples I've spoken to have signed up for those classes and have found attending this type of atmosphere less challenging emotionally to be
around grandparents instead of pregnant couples. Another option is to talk to other women either in your family or within your circle of
friends who have either become parents recently or who have even been daycare providers. They can be great mentors. Others have turned to
books to help prepare for what to do when a little one joins your family. Here is a great book that you can look into if this sounds like a
great option for you…
What to Expect the First Year, Second Edition (Hardcover)
by Heidi Murkoff (Author), Sandee Hathaway (Author), Arlene Eisnberg (Author)
I just wanted to again say that it's very normal to have worries about becoming a first time parent. With many adoptions, the baby can be
released from the hospital directly to the adoptive couple. If you experience an adoption like this, then please know that you'd get to be
involved during the discharge at the hospital so the nurses would go over what formula to feed the baby, how to bathe the baby, cord care, and
any other basic baby care that you'd need to know. It's also very helpful to locate a pediatrician you feel comfortable with as well because
they are a wealth of knowledge early on and later as the months start to pass and the baby begins to do new things.
I sure hope this information is helpful to you and anyone else who might be having these jitters.
Have a question for American Adoptions?
No matter what stage of the adoption process you are at, there are bound to be questions. Feel free to submit your question to us for discussion in future newsletters.
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