Companies increasingly offer adoption benefits

Despite the growing popularity of such benefits, many employers remain naive about the struggles adoptive parents face, said Dr. Robert Trumble, a professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University and director of the Virginia Labor Studies Center. Some may not understand why adoptive parents need parental leave. Others may not be aware of the financial costs and regulatory difficulties facing adoptive parents.

The unpredictable timing of adoptions might present another problem for employees, Trumble said. Notice of a referral can come at unexpected times, up-ending workdays and schedules.

That's why it's important to keep supervisors updated on the process, Trumble said.

Adopting from Guatemala presented many unpredictable setbacks for Cornell employee Debbie Surine and her husband. One came while she was at work, when she learned a loan application had been rejected. Surine feared they wouldn't be able to cobble together the money to finalize the adoption.

In the end, the $5,000 in financial aid from Cornell helped secure the adoption of her daughter, now 2.

Another hiccup arose when a translation error was spotted in Guatemalan legal papers. The birth mother had to be tracked down again to clarify the error; Surine feared the woman might change her mind about the adoption. The support from her co-workers and supervisors during the ordeal was invaluable.

"We would maybe duck into the ladies room for a minute to recoup," Surine said.

A supportive environment at Bank of America was also one of the intangible benefits for Huval, too.

When he got the unexpected call one morning that a baby girl available for adoption had been born, his managers and co-workers rallied behind him.

Everyone at work was pulling "for us to go get that baby and bring her home," Huval said.

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