1. Overview

   The university provides the benefits specified in this policy in support of eligible faculty and staff pursuing adoption of minor children.

2. Eligibility

   Benefits eligible faculty and staff include:

   1. Full time and part time employees, excluding temporary and intermittent appointments, with:

      1. An employment period of greater than one hundred twenty days and an FTE level of 0.75 or greater, or

      2. Part-time employees who were enrolled for benefits as of June 30, 2015.

   2. "Tenure Track," "Instructional," "Visiting Professor," and "Clinical" faculty as defined by the "Faculty Handbook."

   3. Any faculty member or employee who qualifies for a benefit due to state or federal law (e.g., health care coverage, workers compensation, or unemployment compensation). Criteria are described on the university human resources web site.

3. Benefit description

   The adoption benefit plan will reimburse eligible employees up to five thousand dollars per child for eligible adoption-related expenses upon placement of a minor child in the employee’s home.

   If two adopting parents of the same adopted child are both eligible for adoption assistance, the total maximum benefit amount for that adoption is five thousand dollars.

   Adoptions made through public, private, domestic, international, and independent means are eligible. The adopted child must be under the age of eighteen.

4. Applying for adoption benefits

   Employees should complete and submit the "Adoption Benefit Form" to human resources. Receipts for expenses are required for approval and reimbursement.

5. Payment and taxation of adoption benefits

   Adoption benefits are taxable income. Human resources will review and approve your adoption benefit form and expenses and receipts. Upon approval, the adoption benefit will be paid in the next regularly scheduled pay check. Employees may be eligible for an income tax credit for adoption benefits. Consult a tax advisor for details.

6. Eligible expenses

   1. Legal fees and court costs

   2. Adoption agency and placement fees

   3. Required medical expenses for the child prior to adoption (including immunizations)

   4. Immigration fees

   5. Translation services

   6. Transportation expenses including lodging expenses

7. Ineligible expenses

   1. Medical examination fees for adopting parents

   2. Cost of personal items such as clothing and food for either the parents or the child

   3. Expenses incurred prior to eligibility for the program

   4. Expenses for the adoption of a spouse or domestic partner's child

   5. Expenses related to a surrogate parenting arrangement

Reviewers

Proposed revisions of this policy should be reviewed by:

1. Executive Staff

2. Deans, Directors, and Chairs

3. Faculty Senate

4. Administrative Senate

Forms, References, and History

1. Forms

   The following forms are specific to this policy:

   1. The Adoption Benefit Form is available online, linked through https://www.ohio.edu/hr/resources/forms, or from University Human Resources.

2. References

   The following items are relevant to this policy:

   1. https://www.ohio.edu/hr/benefits/parental-leave

   2. Legally obligated eligibility is documented online, linked through UHR's https://www.ohio.edu/hr/benefits/parental-leave.

   3. Policy 40.013, "Domestic Partner Benefits."

   4. Policy 41.010, "Benefits for Administrative Presidential Appointees."

3. History

   Draft versions of this policy that were circulated for review, their cover memos, their forms, and Reviewers' comments on them are available on the password-protected Review site.

   Prior versions of this policy were approved on:

   1. September 17, 2021 (Non-substantive update. Classified Senate removed as Reviewer due to the establishment of the AFSCME 3200 Contract) 
   2. April 13, 2021 (re-formatted) 
   3. September 16, 2013