Kelli, Associate Director of Strategy & Insights at VML, and her husband eagerly waited to complete their family through adoption for more than two years. Every day, they hoped to receive the call that would change their life. And in 2023, the phone finally rang.
Within seven days of the initial phone call, they held their baby boy in their arms for the first time. The birth of their son marked the second time adoption touched their life; the couple welcomed their daughter via adoption in 2017. Today, with her children by her side, Kelli’s family is complete.
Her son’s adoption was one of the most important moments in Kelli’s life, and she feels grateful for everyone who supported her along the way, including her employer. VML offers employees a strong adoption benefits program, which earned the company a spot on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s 2023 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list.
With the support of her employer’s adoption benefits, Kelli found peace of mind knowing that she would be able to take paid parental leave and receive financial reimbursement for her son’s adoption fees.
“VML was pledging their support, both financially and emotionally. They brought us through some of the dark times and helped us celebrate in the best of times,” shared Kelli. “We were able to place focus where focus should be in that moment, on our family.”
VML is dedicated to supporting their employees and takes pride in making family a top priority. The organization makes adoption a supported option for every working parent.
“At VML, we strive to provide benefits that truly matter and make a difference in the lives of our employees,” said Annmarie Burnette, Executive Director, Human Resources. “VML at its core is about family, and we believe in supporting our employees in their path to parenthood through our robust adoption and parental leave programs.”
Congratulations, VML, for being recognized as a 2023 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace! To learn more about adoption benefits, download the Foundation’s free Adoption-Friendly Workplace toolkit.
