Why We Do It
Diaper Need
Diaper need is the lack of enough diapers to keep a baby or toddler clean, dry, and healthy. While this most directly affects the child, making them more prone to rashes and infections, it also affects the entire family. When a parent has to worry about how to afford diapers, spends extra time taking their child to the hospital, or loses childcare because of a lack of diapers, stress levels can become toxic. This makes finding a job, acquiring stable housing, and caring for the family that much more difficult.
Clean diapers are a basic need that too many children in our country are living without, and providing families with these essentials allows them to focus on achieving stability.
A Growing Problem
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 1 in 2 U.S families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their infant or child clean, dry, and healthy. Just last year, that number was 1 in 3. Why is the problem growing?
- Few government programs address diaper need, and families cannot use funds from programs like SNAP and WIC to purchase diapers.
- It’s a vicious cycle: most childcare options require families to provide diapers for their child, so no diapers means no childcare. But without childcare, a parent may not be able to go to work, making diapers unaffordable.
- Economic factors such as inflation, the pandemic and supply chain issues have made diapers more and more expensive relative to wages.
Locally, we’re seeing the same issues and the same increases in need, only magnified. Just imagine how our extremely high housing costs cause families to have to choose between rent, food and diapers. Each year, we’re basically doubling the number of diapers we deliver to families, yet we still can’t fully meet the need. Please consider donating today.