Baylor University Recognized for Parental Leave, Adoption and Foster Care Benefits by Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Baylor Law partners each November with the McLennan County Department of Families and Child Protective Services for Adoption Day, in which adoptions are finalized for children and their forever families. (Nick Teixeira, Baylor Law)
WACO, Texas (Oct. 7, 2021) – Baylor University has been recognized by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as one of the top five U.S. education institutions that offer the best overall adoption benefits, including paid parental leave and financial assistance for adoption-related expenses.
Baylor was rated No. 3 in the education industry on the foundation’s 15th annual list that recognizes organizations with the most robust adoption benefit programs. Baylor also is featured on the foster care benefits list for offering paid parental leave to foster parents.
In 2017, Baylor implemented expansive new policies that provide paid parental leave for staff and an adoption assistance program that helps defray expenses associated with the adoption process and affirms the choice by staff and faculty to grow their families through adoption.
Baylor’s parental leave policy provides up to six weeks of paid leave for full-time staff who become parents through birth, adoption or foster care. The policy, which is available to staff immediately upon employment, gives parents time and flexibility to bond with their new child/children.
The adoption assistance program reimburses full-time faculty and staff up to $6,000 of qualifying adoption-related expenses per adoption, up to two children per calendar year. Faculty and staff are eligible to participate in the program following one year of full-time employment with the University.
“We are honored that Baylor has been recognized by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as one of the nation’s top education institutions for our adoption benefits,” said President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “Baylor’s parental leave and adoption assistance benefits, including for foster care, align with the University’s Christian mission and reflect our deep commitment to supporting and strengthening families. We have made it a priority to provide a supportive work environment that enriches the lives of our staff and faculty and fosters the work-life balance vital to families’ capacity to flourish.”
More than 25 years ago, Dave Thomas, 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.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.