Investing in Our Associates’ Families: Stifel’s Adoption and Foster Care Initiatives

In a true testament to our commitment to our associates, Stifel offers a comprehensive Leave of Absence Policy and financial support to those adopting or fostering children.? Discover how these groundbreaking programs are transforming the lives of our associates.

At Stifel, we want to support our associates in every way possible.? We also know that parents deserve time off to spend with their children –?including those who are fostering or adopting children.? That’s why our Leave of Absence Policy is inclusive, extending the benefits that those giving birth to a child receive to associates who are fostering or adopting.

As someone who adopted a child long before our current Leave of Absence Policy was put in place, I can’t overstate how important this is.? Adoption is a stressful, expensive, and time-consuming process – and having support from work can make a world of difference.

My Adoption Journey

November 8, 2006 – a day that changed our lives.? Our adoption story is slightly unique.? While we wanted to be parents and had struggled for seven years with infertility, we had not considered adoption.? But after receiving a phone call from a friend at our church who knew about our struggles to have children and learning that a young, unwed mother had requested to put her 6-month-old baby boy up for adoption, we jumped at the opportunity.? We went into the process blind without any resources.? Thankfully, our former Stifel HR Director was able to connect me with an adoption attorney, who then put me in contact with all the necessary people.

In the state of Missouri, a private adoption process requires many steps and typically takes six months to complete.? With the help of the adoption attorney and social worker, we completed the steps in two weeks and took legal custody of Cameron on November 8, 2006, when he was 6 months old.? We consider that our official “Gotcha Day.”? Due to Missouri state requirements, our official adoption day is July 18, 2007.?

This unexpected blessing brought initial chaos – we had no baby clothes other than the outfit he was wearing when his birth mother lovingly placed him in my arms.? There was no bed for him to sleep in, which meant that the first two nights, he either slept in his car seat or in the middle of our bed with my husband’s arm around him.? Thankfully, friends and family came to our rescue.? Stifel’s Home Office associates threw a joint baby shower for Tim and me, as well as for Jim Zemlyak and his wife Eleni who had just celebrated the birth of their son, John.? Our home was soon filled with all the necessities (and more) that we needed.? As to my responsibilities at Stifel, we were in the midst of preparing for our annual Blueprint conference (I actually met Cameron and his birth mom on the Friday night of Blueprint).? We were a small department that partnered with the branches and worked with many Home Office departments.? Angie Schmid had just joined our team, so she was thrown into the fire very quickly.? IT coordinated a work-from-home environment for me, and I worked while Cameron napped.? I will be forever grateful for the support we were lovingly given.

A Helping Hand for Parents: Stifel’s Adoption and Foster Care Offerings

Although we paid for fertility treatments and the adoption entirely out of pocket, and I worked from home most days during my time off, associates at Stifel who are adopting or fostering children now have a lot more support and resources from the firm these days.? And this is why I share my story.?

Our Leave of Absence Policy offers up to eight consecutive weeks at full pay for childbirth, but it goes beyond the standard maternity leave.? As of 2019, associates can also receive up to eight consecutive weeks of leave at full compensation to bond with their fostered or adopted child.? I asked Kristen Johnson , Vice President, Compensation and Benefits Director, to expand on this.

“Our leaders saw a need for an expanded parental paid leave,” she shared.? “We also have quite a few associates who have adopted or are considering, and it’s important that we give parents the time they need to bond with their new child.”

In addition, we provide generous financial assistance to associates adopting a child, including subsidized backup child care for associates in a pinch, and we’ve partnered with Kindbody to offer associates quality fertility and family planning services.

“We recognize the challenges that working parents face, and we want to be part of the solution,” Kristen adds.? “Associates learn about our parental leave policy during onboarding and receive a refresher every annual open enrollment period, as well as through various communications from the Stifel benefits department.? But we also work with BenefitBump , a wellness and fitness service that helps associates navigate the world of family planning and can direct them to the various resources Stifel offers.”

The Gift of Parenthood

In the U.S. alone, there are 113,589 children (at the time of this article) waiting for their forever families, and we realize that Cameron was one of the lucky ones who did not enter the foster care system.? In my mind, Cameron was always made for us.? He’s a senior in high school now, about to spread his wings.? We can’t wait to see what path lies ahead for him.? But I can't talk about Cameron without talking about my husband, Tim, because it would have been nearly impossible without him.? We share responsibilities at home, and he has been such a hands-on father and husband.? I certainly would not be able to handle my Stifel role without the support of Tim.?

Everyone who is a parent today – or is a caregiver of some sort – deserves a round of applause, because it is definitely challenging.? Based on my experience, I’m thrilled today’s parents have so much support from the firm and can experience the same joy Cameron has brought into our lives.? I’m grateful that Ron Kruszewski, Jim Zemlyak, Victor Nesi, and the rest of our executive team stood behind WIN and made expanding our Leave of Absence Policy a priority for the women and men in our firm.? It has and will continue to make a significant difference for families that are struggling with infertility or considering adoption.

If this is you now, or in the future, I want you to know that you are not on an island.? The firm is behind you providing both financial support as well as the time to bond with your child.