How receptive are most CEOs to establishing adoption benefits?
Nobody thinks about it. But when you talk about it, it’s a no-brainer. It’s very inexpensive, and when you do it, it means so much. We’ve gotten a lot of response, from Coca-Cola to Hasbro to Burger King. Q: About 30% of large corporations offer adoption benefits. Why aren’t more of them doing it? A: It’s just getting the message out. If you have the time to talk to them one-on-one, it helps. Awareness is so important. The more you talk about it, the more people get interested and want to do it. Q: What is the reluctance? A: I don’t know if there is a reluctance. It’s probably not knowing. I think anyone who has maternity benefits can see it’s the right thing to offer adoption benefits. They go hand-in-hand. Q: What do you say when executives point out that maternity leave is disability leave, and adoptive mothers don’t have a disability? A: It’s the wrong argument. During maternity leave, a birth mother bonds with her child. That is not a perk or a benefit, that is a main component. A
