[Lexie]

Hi--
For working parents and prospective working parents, have any of you been successful in getting your companies to offer paid leave for adoption and/or cover adoption expences. My company is generally family friendly ( generous maternity leave), but when it comes to adoption the leave policy is strictly unpaid and only $2000 of adoption expenses are covered.

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated--
Lexie

[redhedded]

Lexie, My company did not offer any adoption expense reimbursement; however, they paid me for 12 weeks of leave. While it was not policy and they intended, initially, to offer only unpaid required 12 weeks of FMLA, they ultimately provided what they provided all management employees who had given birth; it was a family oriented company, and I was the first to adopt. I wrote a letter to our CEO and copied to our HR Director at her suggestion after a discussion in which she advised that paid leave was really about becoming a new mother rather than about "recovery." I was thrilled when the owner/CEO called me a week later to report that I would receive pay and that such would be a future policy. It never hurts to advocate for your position.

I was also very fortunate that I was permitted to bring my daughter to my office for four full months after my return to work. I set up a pack and play, and she quickly became the office hit!

This has been discussed a lot here; there have been such wide ranging experiences. Maybe the opportunity to expand the policy has never arisen within your company; you might just provide them with the impetus to do so. Wishing you luck.

[Happy2Bhere]

HI!
We were very blessed. My husband & I both work for the same company, and they offer each employee $5,000 towards adoption expenses. We both got two weeks paid adoption leave, and could take a leave of absence if we chose to.
Melissa

[mumofone]

When we adopted our son, I only got 10 weeks paid leave through unemployment.

Now unemployment will pay 9 months for adoptive leave.

There are no adoption credits or tax breaks in our area and no benefits provided by our employers.