Data Shows Sustained Rise in Fertility and Family-Planning Benefits, With Recent Stabilization
Fertility, family planning and family support benefits have been steadily on the rise as employers seek to attract and retain talent, support workforce well-being and build more inclusive workplaces, according to the International Foundation’s Employee Benefits Survey: 2026 Report.
A ten-year review of benefit offerings shows support in fertility and family-forming benefits with recent stabilization as organizations increasingly recognize the importance of supporting employees through all stages of family life.
I discussed this trend with Carey Wooton, CEBS, Associate Vice President of Education at the International Foundation. She shared that when employees face the stress of infertility challenges, adoption delays or the financial burden of family-forming expenses, that stress doesn’t stay at the door. It can manifest as productivity loss, absenteeism or presenteeism. Robust family planning benefits help alleviate those pressures while bolstering mental and financial well-being.
Fertility Benefits: A Growing Priority
Organizations recognize that fertility benefits serve multiple strategic purposes: attracting and retaining top talent; reducing long-term health care costs; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion goals; and supporting overall workforce well-being. While most benefit types saw slight decreases in 2026, offerings remain well above where they stood a decade ago.
Adoption Benefits Trending Upward
For families pursuing adoption, employers are increasingly stepping up with meaningful support. Both paid/unpaid adoption leave and financial assistance have trended upward over the past several years, reflecting a growing recognition that family formation takes many forms and that employer support should be equally inclusive.
Supporting Growing Families
Once a family expands, the need for employer support continues. Many organizations have moved well beyond traditional leave policies to offer a comprehensive suite of family-support benefits. Data from the 2026 report shows current offerings among U.S. organizations include:
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts—69%
- Paid parental/family leave—57%
- Paid maternity leave (above and beyond legal requirements)—45%
- Paid paternity leave (above and beyond legal requirements)—38%
- Unpaid parental/family leave beyond FMLA requirements—35%
- Take Your Child to Work Day—12%
- Scholarships or paid tuition for workers’ children—11%
- Emergency/sick child care—10%
- Child-care subsidies—7%
- Breast milk shipping—5%
- On-site or near-site child care—5%.
A Signal of Employer Commitment
Wooten also added that the growing number of plan sponsors offering family-forming and family-supporting benefits signals that these offerings have become a valued part of the modern employee benefits package. Beyond their practical value, they give employers an opportunity to build community, demonstrate genuine care for employees and their families, and strengthen attraction and retention in an increasingly competitive labor market.
Employee Benefits Survey: 2026 Results is the tenth comprehensive benefits benchmarking survey conducted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The report covers pension and retirement benefits, health care benefits, voluntary benefits, work/life benefits and more.
The full report is available at www.ifebp.org/ebs2026.
