“We are so pleased to see a growing number of employers recognize the importance of supporting families formed through adoption,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) October 02, 2019
Annual survey of employers reveals increased investment in adoption benefits
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption released its 13th annual Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list recognizing organizations with the most robust adoption benefit programs. The list compares financial reimbursement and paid leave offered to employees who adopt, based on a survey of organizations across the United States. The Foundation partnered with RTI International, an independent, nonprofit research institute, to conduct this year’s survey.
More than 25 years ago, Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s® and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, led an initiative advocating for better adoption benefits in the workplace. The Foundation has carried that legacy forward through its signature Adoption-Friendly Workplace program and 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list.
The 2019 list includes a diverse group of organizations, with three to nearly 350,000 employees, representing 23 industries. On average, employers that completed the survey offer $9,362 in financial reimbursement, which is up 1.2% from 2018. The average amount of paid leave was 7.4 weeks, up 1.3% from last year’s list.
“We are so pleased to see a growing number of employers recognize the importance of supporting families formed through adoption,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Foundation. “Congratulations to all the organizations on this year’s list, and thank you for sharing our belief that every child deserves a permanent home and loving family.”
NVIDIA is atop the 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list for the second year in a row. The Santa Clara, CA-based artificial intelligence company offers all full- and part-time employees unlimited financial aid to cover the cost of an adoption. NVIDIA also provides up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave to women and men welcoming an adopted child into their home.
“NVIDIA recognizes that families are built in many ways, but they all share the common bond of love. We are excited to be recognized by the Foundation for the second year in a row. Our commitment to employees and their families is core to who we are,” said Beau Davidson, Vice President of Employee Experience at NVIDIA.
The Foundation also ranks employers by size, industry, best paid leave and foster care benefits. Additionally, a new impact list recognizes organizations with more than 1,000 employees that provide the largest overall financial benefits for adoption and have the capacity to reach the greatest number of people. Target Corporation ranked first on the 2019 impact list.
The Wendy’s Company has been designated with Forever Family emeritus status after being atop the 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list for many years. “One of Wendy’s core values is ‘Do the Right Thing.’ Our founder Dave Thomas was adopted, and he strongly believed that offering adoption benefits is simply the right thing to do for your employees,” said Todd Penegor, President & CEO of The Wendy’s Company and Vice Chair of the Foundation’s board of trustees. “Wendy’s is proud to be one of the companies leading the way with robust adoption benefits, and we are thrilled to see NVIDIA top the list for a second year.”
View the complete 2019 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list and other adoption resources for employers at http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/AFW.
About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the nearly 155,000 children waiting to be adopted 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 service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. Learn more at davethomasfoundation.org.
