Dave Thomas Foundation Recognizes Baylor for Commitment to Employees Who Foster and Adopt
Annual Adoption-Friendly Workplaces places Baylor at No. 3 in education industry, commends the University’s paid parental leave, adoption assistance and foster care benefits
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Baylor University has been recognized again by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as one of the nation’s top education institutions offering robust adoption benefits programs.
Through its signature Adoption-Friendly Workplace program, the Foundation ranked Baylor No. 3 nationally among U.S. education institutions, behind only Yale University and Notre Dame, for offering the best overall adoption benefits, including paid parental leave and financial assistance for adoption-related expenses. 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 decision in 2017 to invest in a comprehensive parental leave policy and adoption assistance program was a decision that continues to positively impact our employees today. In 2024, we continue to provide these enhanced benefits to further support the well-being of our employees and demonstrate our commitment to caring for them and their families,” said Cheryl Gochis, Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer at Baylor. “We hope these programs provide Baylor faculty and staff the opportunity to grow and support their families with confidence and peace of mind.”
Family flourishing
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 and to foster work-life balance that is vital to families’ capacity to flourish.
The University’s adoption assistance program provides up to $10,000 for reimbursement of eligible adoption expenses for each eligible child, maximum two (2) children, within one 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 the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has recognized Baylor University as one of the nation’s top university workplaces for our robust 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 their families.”
To assist faculty and staff with planning, Baylor Human Resources along with local adoption and foster care providers host an Adoption and Foster Seminar at least once per semester. The seminars are designed to provide Baylor employees with information about the adoption and foster care processes and Baylor’s adoption assistance benefits for eligible Baylor faculty and staff.
Leading the way
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption partnered with RTI International, an independent, nonprofit research institute, to survey employers across the United States and score participants based on three criteria: financial reimbursement, paid leave and the percentage of employees eligible for those benefits. In addition to the 100 Best list, the Foundation ranks employers by size, industry, paid leave, foster care benefits and impact.
“The Foundation is pleased to recognize organizations leading the way in making adoption and foster care supported options for every working parent,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “By offering best-in-class benefits, these organizations are demonstrating the importance of being equitable to all the ways families are formed.”
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 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 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.
ABOUT THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national, nonprofit public charity dedicated to finding permanent homes for the more than 140,000 children waiting 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. More than 30 years ago, Dave Thomas led an initiative advocating for better adoption benefits in the workplace. The Foundation has carried that legacy forward through the Adoption-Friendly Workplace program. The Foundation recognizes organizations that offer best-in-class adoption and foster care benefits, offers a toolkit to help employers develop their policies and shares stories of impact.