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The Best Adoption Friendly Workplace . The Dave Thomas Foundation. Unadoptable is Unacceptable. The Dave Thomas Foundation. Founded in 1992 Mission : “ The Dave Thomas Foundation will dramatically increase the number of adoptions of waiting children in North America’s foster care system.”
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The Best Adoption Friendly Workplace The Dave Thomas Foundation
The Dave Thomas Foundation • Founded in 1992 • Mission : “ The Dave Thomas Foundation will dramatically increase the number of adoptions of waiting children in North America’s foster care system.” • Child-focused
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids • Funds adoption professionals • 154 recruiters • Latosha Marina • National Adoption Day • November 17, 2012 • 40,000 children
Myth or Reality? • A biological parent can show up at any time and take their child back.
Myth or Reality? • Foster care adoption costs little to no money.
Myth or Reality? • You must be a married, heterosexual couple under the age 55 to adopt a child.
Research Findings • Surveyed 1,600 Americans on their view of foster care adoption • Met with HR professionals to learn what is important to them, their companies and employees when it comes to adoption • Researched other business lists to model how hey collected data, chose criteria and publicized the lists.
Objectives • Increase benefits • Educate potential adoptive families • Raise awareness about number of kids available for adoption
Competing for the Better • Wanted to make something to attract companies to their new idea. • Developed a Top 100 list of the companies that offered the best benefits for employees looking to adopt. • Criteria for making the list • The Top 100 list is a great form of stewardship. It pushes companies to improve on their former ranking and challenges new companies to make the list.
Preliminary Surveys to Rank Companies • Mailed survey invitations to 40,000 business leaders and HR professionals. • Rankings were based off of • (1) the maximum financial reimbursement per adoption • (2) the maximum number of weeks of paid leave per adoption • Employers who provided both were ranked higher than those just providing monetary support.
Growing Interest in the Initiative • Overall Rankings were created by business size, industry and location, as well as the overall Top 100 list that gained substantial interest prior to its original release in April 2007. • The foundation then began to receive inquiries from companies asking how they could improve benefits to rise up the 2008 list.
Any place is a good place • “Adoption-Friendly Workplace Tool Kits” • Includes a CD with forms and sample benefit plans, making it easy to propose and establish an adoption benefits policy in the workplace. • Shows companies how to implement financial reimbursement and paid leave for employees who adopt.
Second Annual Survey • The foundation created another survey aimed at specific trade media similar to their industry. • Extended reach • Partners helpedto raise awareness of the foundations mission on a mass scale. • Distributed media pitches in addition to national press releases through outlets such as TIME and CNBC.
National Adoption Day Plan • Werth began building national enthusiasm for the upcoming National Adoption Day. • Revamped the foundation web site • Launched a social networking program to encourage adoptive parents and advocates to share their success stories. • The site made it easy to register for local National Adoption Day events and provided event toolkits for advocates looking to make their own.
NAD continued • Twitter Page ( @DTFA ) • National Adoption Day’s main event was held in Queens, NY on November 15, 2008. • It featured speeches by the foundation’s executive director and former foster child, actress Victoria Rowell. Rowell also spoke to the New York media and on The Today Show on the foundation’s message points.
Budget • With a five-member team, Werth and the foundation’s marketing director expanded their budget as far as possible. • The budget allowed $40,000 for the ABAFW survey and $157,500 for National Adoption Day in 2008.
Which organization was ranked No. 1 on the BEST Adoption Friendly Workplace list? • The Wendy’s Company with a combination of up to $25,300 in adoption assistance and up to six weeks of paid leave.
As a Result • The 2008 list influenced 92 organizations to increase benefits for workers that adopted with over 33 businesses using the foundations free adoption resources • Media coverage of the 2008 list delivered over 20 million impressions worldwide due to over 200 stories raising awareness
National Adoption Day Campaign • Campaign exposed over 120 million Americans to the Foundations positive messages about foster care adoption. • Linked to the adoption of over 4,600 children in foster care during the 325 National Adoption Day events held in all 50 states. • The number of events and adoptions are increasing every year • Led a campaign that reported on adoptions affordability, shattered stereotypes and raised awareness for the 129,000 children in foster care.
Financial Benefits • The average financial reimbursement: $6,780 • The average paid leave offering is four weeks. • Nearly half of the participants also offer unpaid leave beyond what is required by the Family and Medical Leave Act, ranging from one week to three years • In Aon Hewitt’s annual survey: • 12 % offered a financial adoption benefit in 1990. • This year, 56% of employers reported offering a financial adoption benefit
Success Stories • Johnson Family • Employee Experiences • http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/about-foster-care-adoption/success-stories/
