By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced a new suite of employee benefits to increase access and support for tens of thousands of city workers in building a family. Now, members of the “Management Benefits Fund” — which provides benefits to approximately 27,000 non-union employees and retirees — will be eligible for “Family Building Benefits” that provide up to $10,000 in reimbursement for costs associated with adoption, surrogacy, and egg or sperm donation.
This marks the first time a major U.S. city has provided these benefits to municipal employees and is similar to benefits increasingly being provided by private-sector companies and universities, Adams noted.
While New York City’s Health Benefits Program currently provides coverage for fertility treatments, including up to three cycles of in-vitro fertilization, for employees and their covered beneficiaries, services such as surrogacy and sperm/egg donation involving individuals not covered by an employee’s health insurance benefits are not included, and there is no benefit to defray the costs of adopting a child. To ensure that more New York City employees have the resources they need to start a family, the Adams administration established this benefit for both employees and retirees who are members of the Management Benefits Fund.
This benefit will provide up to $10,000 in reimbursement for costs such as adoption agency fees, legal fees associated with adoption or surrogacy, fees to a surrogate, costs of transferring an embryo to a surrogate, costs an employee incurs for medical costs of the surrogacy, and costs of procuring donor sperm or eggs. The policy will help employees across city government, including those that are members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families.
“To be the greatest city in the world, you have to attract and retain the greatest talent in the world, and that means making New York City the best city in the nation to build and raise a family,” said Adams. “Our administration continues to put working people first, and today’s announcement is another example of how we are making it easier for families to afford to grow and live here. With this new benefit, we are giving up to $10,000 to reimburse costs for non-union employees associated with adoption, surrogacy, and egg or sperm donation — making New York City the first major U.S. city to provide this benefit to their employees and helping employees across city government build the families they want. Our mission is to make New York City a more affordable, and safe city, and this announcement is yet another historic example of how we are delivering on that mission.”
Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills), chairwoman of the Health Committee, added, “This initiative not only affirms our commitment to fostering family growth for all, but also positions New York City as a pioneer in equitable and inclusive employee benefits. Every individual and couple, including those who are LGBTQ+, deserve the opportunity and resources to build a family. I am very proud to take this positive life-changing step forward, together with Mayor Adams and his team.”
