"Diaper need" is a lack of sufficient supply of diapers to keep babies clean and dry.
Diapers cost over $900 every year, a cost that 1 in 3 families struggle with in our country (1).
Government assistance programs, like food stamps, Medicaid, and WIC, do NOT cover diapers.
Government assistance programs, like food stamps, Medicaid, and WIC, do NOT cover diapers.
Diaper need affects our community!
There are over 8,000 children at risk of diaper need in the Athens, GA community (2,3).
What is the fall-out of diaper need?
- PHYSICAL: When families struggle to afford diapers, they report re-using soiled diapers or keeping a baby in a dirty diaper too long. This can lead to persistent diaper rash, UTIs, and staph infections, as well as the associated medical costs (4).
- MENTAL: When families struggle to afford diapers, they must decide between buying diapers or other basic needs like food and rent (5).
- EMOTIONAL: Diaper need is correlated with maternal stress and mental health need (1).
- SOCIAL: Without clean diapers, babies are not able to participate in early childhood education and social opportunities.
- ECONOMIC: Without a supply of clean diapers, families can't send their babies to daycare. Without daycare, families can't go to work or school. By the numbers: 56% of parents using daycare have missed work because they didn’t have enough diapers (4)!!
- Smith et al. Diaper Need and Its Impact on Child Health. Pediatrics. 2013.
- Numbers from 2010 US Census estimates.
- Massengale et al. Diaper Need Met Among Low-Income US Children Younger Than 4 Years in 2016. American Journal of Public Health. 2020.
- Carstensen and Gunther. The Social and Economic Impacts of the Diaper Bank of Connecticut. 2018.
- Porter and Steefel. Diaper Need: A Change for Better Health. Pediatric Nursing. 2015.
