MikeDana37

Wow this is scary... Elizabeth, I'm wandering if this cost is discounted at all? I work in 4 hospitals in Pennsylvania, all of which offer discounted rates to cash paying patients (after all participating insurances don't reimburse the hospital the full cost of the hospital charges, but rather the reimbursement rate they have contractually worked out). You may know this already (and probably do!) but thought I would ask anyway. Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who answered! I did not realize until now that so many companies don't offer paid maternity leave let alone adoption leave that is paid. In my case, the company I may work for does offer a full 6 weeks paid maternity leave which is why I was very upset. After reading through the posts, I completely agree that there needs to be comprehensive family leave time. I was surprised to learn that there are states that have integrated this, and I've already started advocating for paid time off for adoption with local congressmen in PA. Now I have even more to say to them about the importance of family leave in general, and yes for MEN and WOMEN. Good point about overall cost to the company, certainly mothers giving birth have significant costs through their insurance and then get paid leave (which they deserve!), but much of this expense is not incurred on adoptive families. The company I'm speaking of does offer $2K for adoption, but won't give it to us until the adoption is finalized which doesn't help much when we need it most. All in all it's just both sad and frustrating. I hope if many of us advocate for change that lawmakers can see it too....

Hi, My husband and I are working through our home study now and eager to get done! We just got word that the small company I work for might be bought by a larger corporation. My first question for my possible new employer, what are the adoption related benefits!?! My current employer felt that it was only right to offer me the same paid maternity leave that he offers all his other employees. However, if the business deal goes through, the larger corporation does not look at adoption the same, and will not offer maternity leave (ie paid leave). The only option is to take time off is unpaid FMLA time. I just wandered if this has happened with anyone else? Is there really a difference in this type of benefit employers offer based on how the child comes into your life? I think's it's so sad and crazy if it is! I understand that I am not physically having a child, but I would argue that if maternity leave is being offered to women to recover from the physical aspects of childbirth, then what they should qualify for is short term disability (like other people who need to recover from surgery or health problems). My argument in saying this is NOT to discount the need for maternity leave for women, but to say the reason for maternity leave is more than just a women's physical recovery but it is time for bonding and attachment with the child and caring for the newborn. Adoptive parents have this same exact need, but unfortunately it looks like the time off will be there for me but the pay will not.