By Dr. Diana Lang, Executive Director & Founder, Iowans for Adoption For over a decade, advocates and families across Iowa have worked tirelessly toward one clear goal: equality for adoptive parents in the workplace. This July, that goal became a reality. Effective July 1, 2025, Iowa parents who adopt a child up to six years old are now entitled to the same parental leave and workplace protections as parents who give birth. This change, supported by lawmakers and championed b