Organizations across the country are raising the bar in making adoption and foster care a supported option for working parents. Just as every child deserves a safe, permanent home, we believe all parents deserve the support and time to bond with their child.
Leaders of some of the organizations recognized as 2023 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces and Adoption Advocates offered their thoughts to inspire others to support employees becoming an adoptive or foster parent:
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
“We are extremely proud of the best-in-class benefit programs and resources provided at Akin. The firm’s commitment to offering holistic family-friendly benefits goes beyond business — it’s a real investment in the lives and overall well-being of our team members … They provide an opportunity to shine a light on the richness of our employees’ experiences and backgrounds and help foster a culture where everyone’s family story is valued and supported.” – Meg Meserole, Chief Human Resources Officer
Capital One
“At Capital One, it’s our goal to offer our associates an inclusive set of benefits that provide them with the opportunity to live the life they’ve imagined. Becoming a parent is a goal for many of our associates, and we understand there are several ways to grow a family.” – Pam Ventura, Vice President, Benefits
Development Dimensions International (DDI)
“At DDI, we aim to be a leader in supporting our associates and their families in whatever way they grow. For families that choose to grow through adoption, we offer well-rounded benefits to help them through the adoption process and as they care for and adjust their family life.” – Kelli Buczynski, Sr. Vice President, Chief People Officer
Etsy
“At Etsy, we know that welcoming a new member to a family is transformative, and we’ve led the way in offering robust benefits for our team members during this moment, including 26 weeks of fully-paid parental leave for all genders for birth, adoption or fostering of a new child. We’re proud to be part of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list, alongside organizations that strive to build workplaces where people from all backgrounds and stages of life can succeed.” – Kim Seymour, Chief Human Resources Officer
Fiducient Advisors
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Fiducient Advisors is committed to fostering an environment in which our colleagues, clients and communities prosper. This includes providing benefits programs to support families of all types. We understand that having access to required time and resources is a critical, and often under appreciated, part of the adoption process.” – Sabrina Bailey, Chief Executive Officer
National Futures Association (NFA)
“At NFA, we believe the quality of our employees sets us apart, which is why we are passionate about supporting employees through their journey of growing a family. We are proud to offer adoption assistance and leave to our staff and are grateful to be included in the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces.” – Nancy Bohanon, Vice President, Human Resources
Navient
“It is a profound privilege for Navient to be acknowledged as an adoption advocate by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. With this recognition, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a culture of support and compassion. We believe in the transformative power of adoption, and this honor inspires us to continue championing initiatives that make a real difference in the lives of families.” – Michael Smith, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
New York Life
“At New York Life, we believe in the transformative power of family and the importance of providing the right support to our employees who embark on the journey of adoption. Our competitive, flexible, and robust family-friendly benefits are a testament to our dedication to attracting and retaining top talent and continuing to foster an inclusive workplace.” – Jomil Guerrero, Chief Diversity Officer
Nielsen
“Nielsen strives to meet the needs and interests of all of our employees through a diverse benefit ecosystem which includes a rich family building program. We support our employees before, during and after adoption or foster with subsidization, emotional health support and robust paid leave plans. We truly encourage our employees to bring their whole selves to work every day with the confidence that Nielsen supports both them and their growing families.” – Tom Moran, VP Benefits
Safety National
“Resources from The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption were instrumental in helping my organization create more equitable benefit offerings for our employees. Once we examined employee feedback and analyzed published data on how challenges with the adoption process could be impacting our employees, we determined there was a need to enhance our family-forming programs to include paid adoption benefits.” – Angela Schaefer, SHRM-SCP, SPHR Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
The Walt Disney Company
“We’re incredibly proud to be recognized as a top employer for adoption-friendly workplaces from the Dave Thomas Foundation. This honor not only exemplifies the inclusive and amazing resources we provide to our employees but is especially rewarding personally as a father that has been blessed to build my own family through adoption.” – Eric Chaisson, SVP Total Rewards & HR Operations
Walmart
“Fostering a culture of belonging for our Walmart associates starts with ensuring we are offering a full suite of well-being benefits that best support their diverse needs in all aspects of life, including the many paths to parenthood. We’re proud to support associates who are interested in adoption with up to $20,000 toward adoption expenses and know this is just one example of what makes Walmart a great place to work.” – Donna Morris, Chief People Officer
Congratulations to organizations recognized as 2023 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces! Start the adoption benefits conversation within your organization today by downloading our Adoption-Friendly Workplace toolkit.
