OKC Standard

As part of the City Council's unanimous approval of the budget for FY 2023-24, the City of Edmond unveiled a groundbreaking employee leave program that provides not only maternity/paternity leave for new parents but also paid time off for employees who are adopting a child or fostering a child.

"As our city continues to grow and we look for ways to improve our constituents' quality of life, this allows us to recruit and retain talented people needed to serve our city," Mayor Darrell Davis said. "Improving opportunities for employees to help manage their health, families, and careers is a positive step."

With the new policies, Edmond is the first city in Oklahoma to offer a week of paid leave for fostering a child.

"Healthy communities are built on a foundation of healthy homes and families. Oklahoma has many children in need of a healthy and supportive home," said Tom Robins, Councilmember representing Ward 1. "Edmond, Oklahoma, is blessed to be a community that supports fostering with city employees willing to open their hearts and homes to foster children. That is why I called for, and City Council voted to support, Edmond, Oklahoma, being the first city in the state to offer a full week – 40 hours – of flexible paid leave each year for employees who are providing foster care. New paid time off policies will also be provided to support adoption. There is no substitute for a safe and stable family to the health and well-being of children in our community."

Under the new policy, effective July 1, 2023:

• A City employee giving birth will now be eligible for up to 8 calendar weeks of paid maternity leave.
• An employee who is the parent of a newborn child whose spouse or partner is the mother now will be eligible for up to 4 calendar weeks of paid leave. 
• An employee who is in the process of adopting a child now will be eligible for 8 calendar weeks of paid leave upon the initial placement of the adoptive child.
• Employees receiving a child as a foster care placement now will be eligible to use a bank of 40 hours of paid leave in a calendar year.

"This innovative policy allows Edmond to recruit and retain talented employees to serve our citizens while supporting their families and providing loving homes for children in our community,” said Lisa Goodpasture, Director of Human Services for the City of Edmond.

The new leave policies were only part of the enhancements included in the upcoming fiscal year budget.

“Edmond wants to recruit and retain a talented workforce to serve our citizens,” said City Manager Scot Rigby. “Across the nation, cities face the challenges of attracting and retaining quality employees. Supporting our employees with benefits that allow them to support their families while opening their hearts and homes to fostering and adoption while serving Edmond citizens is a true win-win." 

Original source can be found here.