August 4, 1999
It's easy for women to take time off from work after giving birth to a child.
But what about women who adopt?
In today's Family Now report, Lisa Conley explains how some local parents have dealt with what can be a frustrating situation.
When Karen Andrews and her husband adopted a baby four years ago, she assumed she would be able to take paid maternity leave.
She'd seen other women in her company take time off after giving birth.
But in Andrews' case, her company's insurance policy wouldn't allow paid leave, because she had not been pregnant.
Karen Andrews: "THE PREGNANCY IS VIEWED AS AN ILLNESS AND THE LEAVE IS FOR THE MOTHER TO RECUPERATE."
But it was much more than that to Andrews.
She wanted time to bond with her new son and recuperate from the change.
Karen Andrews: "I EXPECTED IT TO BE THE SAME. TO ME, IT'S A LIFE-ALTERING EVENT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTIONS AND STRESS AND THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT."
And she felt she might need more time than a birth mother, because she hadn't had that first nine months of pre-natal bonding time.
Karen Andrews: "YOU NEED TO BOND WITH THE CHILD, I FELT LIKE TO BOND WITH HIM PARTICULARLY SINCE I DIDN'T CARRY HIM. THERE NEEDED TO BE THAT BONDING TO GO ALONG WITH IT. THE ADJUSTMENT, THE LEARNING HOW TO MANAGE A THIRD PERSON IN OUR FAMILY."
Despite the insurance company's policy, her bosses arranged an alternative plan and she returned to work six weeks after the adoption.
Andrews now works part time for another company, and hopes to adopt another child.
Utah Adoption Council officials say other women have experienced similar ordeals, as policies vary in the state from company to company.
But they hope Utah lawmakers will follow the lead of another state.
Maryland now requires employers to give adoptive parents the same leave benefits that birth parents get.
For more information on adoption and taking leave from work after adoption, call the Family Now information line at 1-800--575-5751.
