Getting to the Bottom of it

Any parent will tell you it is a terrible inconvenience to run out to the drugstore late at night because you ran out of diapers. But this occasional inconvenience is nothing compared to the crisis unfolding across the nation for families who are unable to provide their children with an adequate supply of diapers.

The Facts

• Safety-net programs such as the SNAP (formerly food stamp program) and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) do not cover the cost of diapers. 

• An adequate supply of diapers can cost over $100 per month. 

• The vast majority of licensed day care centers do not accept cloth diapers, and require parents and caregivers to provide a steady supply of disposable diapers.

• Most people living in poverty do not have affordable access to washing facilities. Furthermore, most coin-operated laundromats do not allow customers to wash cloth diapers for health and sanitary reasons.

The Impacts

• In poor and low-income families, a baby can spend a day or longer in one diaper, leading to potential health and abuse risks.

• Low-income parents cannot take advantage of free or subsidized childcare if they cannot afford to leave disposable diapers at childcare centers. If parents cannot access daycare, then they are less able to attend work or school on a consistent basis. This in turn leads to increased economic instability and a continuation of the cycle of poverty.

• Without transportation, buying diapers at an inner city convenience store rather than a large retailer can double or triple the monthly cost for diapers. Many parents are already struggling to pay for rent and food and simply cannot afford the high cost of an adequate supply of diapers for their children.

Keeping Children Healthy, Helping Families Become Self Sufficient

Every baby deserves a clean diaper. Children left for extended periods of time in dirty diapers are at a higher risk for health problems including severe diaper rash, urinary tract infections, jaundice, and even staph infections.  Babies left in soiled diapers are more likely to cry from discomfort, which can increase caregiver stress and parental depression. In extreme cases, this type of stress on a family unit may lead to child neglect and abuse.

Lacking a steady access to diapers may also result in a family’s inability to participate in childcare programs, school, and even regular employment. We know that early childhood learning and development are critical to at-risk children.

The majority of early care and education programs, including free or subsidized programs like Early Head Start, require parents to provide disposable diapers prior to entering the program. If a caregiver is unable to meet this requirement, they may not be able to participate in regular employment or job training programs – essential factors in a family’s ability to be self sufficient.