NVIDIA, American Express and Disney among companies with the best adoption and foster care benefits

Starting a family looks different for everyone. For some, it means turning to alternative options like adoption or foster care, and these families deserve the same support from their workplace.   

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption recently released its annual ranking of the best companies for adoption and family building benefits, based on a list of criteria that includes  financial reimbursement, paid leave and the percentage of employees eligible for those benefits. The 2024 list includes diverse organizations that span across 22 industries, pointing to a positive change in the conversations around these policies. 

"Adoption and foster care benefits are easy additions to any employee benefit policy," says Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. "They show a commitment to supporting all the ways that employees' families are formed. Every group needs to find the benefit policy that fits for them, but we are encouraged by the conversations happening."

Read more: From foster care to family: How BofA's adoption benefits supported this exec

On average, the companies surveyed by the foundation offered $16,422 in financial reimbursement for adoption costs, which is up 10% from last year. In addition, the average amount of paid leave for new parents also saw a significant uptick, with the average allotted time rising to 9.6 weeks in 2024, up 6% from 2023. 

For this reason, New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Ferring Pharmaceuticals topped the Dave Thomas Foundation's list for the second consecutive year. The company provides unlimited financial reimbursement for adoption costs and 26 weeks of paid leave to adoptive parents. Close behind were software company NVIDIA and American Express. 

And while the support for foster families is still lagging behind that of adoptive families, the foundation found that many of the companies that made the list have made an effort to include foster parents in their existing policies. As a result, the amount of paid leave offered to foster parents surveyed averaged at about 9.7 weeks, up 3% from 2023.

"Foster parents are the backbone of the foster care system," Soronen says. "We need more loving families who are willing to offer a stable place for children to stay temporarily while their families of origin work through challenges, [and] it's easier for foster families to step up when they have support from their workplace." 

See which other companies were recognized by the Dave Thomas Foundation for their comprehensive family building support.