For immediate release: September 10, 2012
DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION RECOGNIZED BEST
ADOPTION-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES IN THE GOVERNMENT INDUSTRY
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption announced the sixth annual list of the Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in the government industry. City of Carmel, Ind., and Commonwealth of Kentucky tie for the No. 1 spot.
“Carmel is honored to be considered amongst the 2012 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption,” said Mayor Jim Brainard of the City of Carmel. “Families today are created in diverse ways and given Carmel's dedication to ensuring our city remains a great place to raise a family, we have adjusted our benefits policy to better align with the varied needs of City employees.”
“Kentucky state government is humbled and honored to once again be recognized as one of the best adoption-friendly workplaces in America by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption,” said Tim Longmeyer, secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet, which administers the program. “Our Adoption Benefit Program provides $3,000 to $5,000 per family for direct costs related to the adoption of a child. It's the least we can do to assist families who are literally giving life, love and opportunity to a child in need.”
The City of Carmel and Commonwealth of Kentucky provide their employees with up to $5,000 per adoption.
“Knowing that the City of Carmel has adoption benefits makes you feel privileged and honored that they will back you and support your decision to offer children a loving home and stability in life,” said Jeff Cooper, maintenance foreman for the City of Carmel.
“When our family felt the calling to adoption, we knew that we would be making significant financial sacrifices to do so. It was such a blessing to discover the incentive available to me as a state employee, especially since our daughter will have special needs,” said Steve Hall, branch manager for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “It's encouraging to find a program designed toward helping kids who have little or no hope without intervention."
Adoption benefits are one of the easiest benefit policies a company can offer and are becoming more popular. In Aon Hewitt’s annual survey of 1,000 major U.S. employers, only 12 percent offered a financial adoption benefit in 1990. This year, 56 percent of employers reported offering a financial adoption benefit.
“The formation of a family comes with both joys and challenges,” said Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Foundation. “It is critical for parent and child to have the opportunity to adjust when a child joins his or her adoptive home. We’d like to say thank you to the employers who provide family-friendly work environments and offer benefits to make adoption more affordable for families who open their hearts and homes to a child.”
There are more than 100,000 children in the U.S. foster care system waiting to be adopted. Every year, nearly 30,000 children in foster care turn 18 and leave the system without families to call their own. The release of the Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces List helps the Foundation increase awareness of adoption from foster care while celebrating those businesses that support adoptive families.
Rankings for the Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces List are determined by an analysis of a company’s adoption benefits that are made available to employees who adopt, such as financial reimbursement and paid leave. The Foundation compiles the results from its annual survey of U.S. employers and partners with Employee Benefit News, a SourceMedia publication that is the leading source of information for benefits decision makers, to announce the winners.
The Wendy’s Company is No. 1 on this year’s list, with a combination of up to $25,300 in adoption assistance and up to six weeks of paid adoption leave. The average financial reimbursement for all survey participants is $6,780 and the average paid leave offering is four weeks. Nearly half of the participants also offer unpaid leave beyond what is required by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), ranging from one week to three years. To view the full list, visit adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org.
If your organization does not offer adoption benefits, order the Foundation’s free kit that makes it easy to propose and establish an adoption benefits policy in your workplace at adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org.
Follow the Foundation’s social networks for news and updates on:
• Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/DaveThomasFoundationforAdoption]
• Twitter [http://twitter.com/BestAFW]
• Twitter [http://twitter.com/DTFA]
Government industry rankings:
1-tie. City of Carmel, Indiana
1-tie. Commonwealth of Kentucky
(Editor’s note: The Foundation is not an affiliate of The Wendy’s Company.)
About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of the more than 134,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. Created by Wendy’s® founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national signature programs, foster care adoption awareness initiatives and research-based advocacy efforts. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org, or call 1-800-ASK-DTFA.
Media contacts:
Staci Perkins
Senior Director, Marketing & Communications
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Phone: 614-764-8406
Email: staci_perkins@davethomasfoundation.org
Amanda Wurst
Account Supervisor
Paul Werth Associates
Phone: 614-224-8114
Email: awurst@paulwerth.com
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Direct link to article online at http://www.davethomasfoundation.org
Direct link to Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption website