was originally reported by Chabeli Carrazana of . 

In America, diapers have long been treated as a luxury good rather than a necessity. 

struggle to afford all the diapers they need. A quarter of families miss work as a result, often because they don鈥檛 have enough diapers to send with their children to child care. 

It鈥檚 a largely invisible issue with enormous consequences for the health of parents and children. Studies have found that diaper need is a greater contributor than food insecurity and housing instability. And when parents don鈥檛 have enough diapers, they make do with sanitary pads, rags or other materials. Some report having to leave their children in soiled diapers for extended periods, raising the risk for urinary tract infections and diaper rash. 

So Amy Kadens, who has worked in the diaper space for nearly 15 years, wondered: What if diapers were free for the parents who need them most? For decades, the United States has not had a good answer. So she came up with her own. 

Diaper banks started popping up across the nation in 2011, collecting donations and dispersing diapers to families through a . They are one of the few lifelines for parents. 

Kadens, who co-founded a nonprofit that provides diapers called Share our Spare in 2011, knew that diaper banks often operate with limited staff and resources, and operationally can only address a small percentage of a massive need. Without more government support, they can only get at a slice of the problem. 

Federal assistance programs that help low-income families, such as food stamps and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), have never allowed families to use those funds to purchase diapers. 

鈥淒iaper banks are doing heroic work with very little. I didn鈥檛 want to reinvent the wheel,鈥� Kadens said. But, 鈥淚 wanted to continue to sink my teeth into this.鈥�

So Kadens started to work on a solution that could give people the funds to get whatever diapers they needed, without the warehouses to store donations or the teams to get those donations out. 

That solution was Diaper Dollars, a $40 e-card that users get in their email every month. The virtual card comes with a barcode they can scan at checkout at most major retailers, including Walmart, CVS and Walgreens, that will cover the cost of diapers. So far, users in Illinois and Ohio can access the program.

The idea, Kadens said, was to make it as simple as possible, while also giving parents the ability to choose what brands they preferred. 

 鈥淔amilies have brand loyalty,鈥� Kadens said. 鈥淚 wanted to keep dignity and choice at the forefront of everything we did.鈥�

The Diaper Dollars team went through months of market research to refine the tech to work well for participants. They didn鈥檛 want coupons because there was too much in the system, and gift cards meant users could be limited on where to shop. 

Instead, they landed on a system that allowed them to build out a catalog of diapers at 6,200 retail locations in the country. The bar code on the digital card recognizes the diapers when it鈥檚 scanned and deducts the price from the total purchase. That catalog of diapers is monitored daily and updated in case brands come out with new box sizes or products. It also works for online purchases. 

The system does have some limitations. It鈥檚 not valid in Amazon or Target, two retailers that don’t yet accept that form of payment. And it also likely only covers a portion of the need: The average family spends about $100 on diapers a month, but families earning a median income can only afford to cover about $65, according to an . It鈥檚 also more expensive 鈥� parents are paying retail prices plus sales tax (, including Illinois). By contrast, products at diaper banks are donated or sold to the banks from the manufacturer at deeply discounted rates. 

To find participants, Diaper Dollars partners with organizations such as WIC clinics and local hospitals to refer people to the program, which is funded from a mix of philanthropy and financial support from those same partners. Partners establish the eligibility criteria, how long participants can be a part of the program, and whether the stipend will be higher for those with multiple babies.

A pilot program launched in 2023 with 100 people, then in 2024 the Illinois Department of Human Services dedicated $1 million to run its own pilot at a larger scale. Nearly 8,000 people have been served so far, with 10,000 projected by 2026. 

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton told The 19th that she had been looking for solutions that could support people in the postpartum period, when is high, . Diaper need, specifically, is linked to and considered a potential risk factor for moderate to high maternal depressive symptoms.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. For White women it was 14.5 deaths. 

So when Illinois launched a birth equity initiative to address the needs of postpartum parents, from a home visiting program to better diaper access, it chose to partner with Diaper Dollars. 

鈥淕iving someone a card where they can go to the store of their choice, decide what鈥檚 best, that is what鈥檚 part of dignity,鈥� Stratton said. 鈥淓very woman deserves to bring life into this world safely and with dignity.鈥� 

Brendan Kitt, Diaper Dollars鈥� program director, said the program was able to offer an operational solution to a problem the state wanted to address but didn鈥檛 have a mechanism for. The system works similarly to a universal basic income, where people in need are given a cash stipend, but it鈥檚 more targeted. 

鈥淏oth for funders and supporters, it’s always a question when you talk to people about where the money goes,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he fact that we can limit the transactions to the specific needs that we’re trying to serve, I think, is one of the biggest things that legitimized our operation over just giving basic cash assistance.鈥� 

Parents who benefited from Diaper Dollars told the organization in testimonials that they鈥檝e had to turn to using underwear or old T-shirts when they didn鈥檛 have the money for diapers, often making decisions between paying for rent or diapers. 

After going through the program, parents reported that the funds gave them the wiggle room to buy their children other essentials or to make them better meals. 

About 90 percent of those who went through the program reported being able to better afford essentials like food, rent and other bills. Some 95 percent felt less stressed about not having enough diapers. 

Joanne Samuel Goldblum, the CEO of the National Diaper Bank Network, which has more than 240 partners nationwide, said a model like Diaper Dollars can address unmet needs, particularly in rural areas where it鈥檚 harder for diaper banks to distribute products. 

鈥淭he need is really so big, and it鈥檚 not going to be addressed through just one sort of answer or one type of program,鈥� Samuel Goldblum said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to have ways to reach people in all sorts of different communities.鈥� 

The Diaper Dollars program has raised about $2 million so far 鈥� 45 percent from the state of Illinois, 35 percent from philanthropic donors and 20 percent from grants from community partners. It is now also running in Ohio and expected to expand to Washington soon. 

Kadens鈥� dream is to take the program to every state. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned and some red states instituted abortion bans, conservative lawmakers have been looking for ways to support postpartum parents. 

In Tennessee, for example, where abortion was banned in 2022, the state in 2024 that allowed families enrolled in Tennessee鈥檚 Medicaid program to receive up to a month for the first two years of life. 

Samuel Goldblum said the National Diaper Bank Network has seen more bipartisan support for addressing diaper needs this year 鈥渢han we鈥檝e ever seen before.鈥�

It should be that simple, Kadens said: 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e blue or red. Babies need diapers.鈥�

This was originally published on .

Joanne Samuel Goldblum, founder and CEO at the , believes most policymakers are focused on 鈥渢he big picture鈥� to address poverty but often neglect the material basic needs that help families get through the day. She identifies aisles in the middle of most supermarkets stocked with hygiene products, cleaning supplies and toilet paper, most of which can鈥檛 be purchased via assistance programs, but they can be the difference between economic stability and a descent into poverty. Diapers are not typically on the policy agenda, but they should be.

The National Diaper Bank Network defines diaper need as 鈥渢he lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep a baby or toddler clean, dry and healthy.鈥� Findings from the organization鈥檚 latest report, , shows that diaper need 鈥渞emains a serious and pervasive issue that impacts the physical, mental and economic well-being of U.S. children and families.鈥� Shockingly, the survey found that nearly half of families (47 percent) reported experiencing diaper need, a drastic increase from the 1 in 3 families that reported diaper need in 2010.

When they can鈥檛 provide diapers, parents resort to makeshift solutions such as using plastic bags, towels and T-shirts as diapers, scouring the internet for instructions on how to make a homemade diaper, and reusing wet or soiled diapers after removing waste. These 鈥渄iaper-stretching鈥� methods to compensate for diaper need can have serious physical consequences, such as severe diaper rash and urinary tract infections.

Diaper need can also have a profound impact on mental health. A soggy diaper is a physical reminder of a child鈥檚 unmet need, and not being able to meet that need is a horrible, unshakable feeling. A found that diaper need was the number one predictor of maternal stress, even outpacing worries about paying for food, electricity or housing.

Diaper need also has economic consequences. Most child care centers require parents to supply a day or even an entire week鈥檚 worth of diapers at once, even if the cost of child care is subsidized. If families do not have the required supply of diapers, they must find another child care arrangement, which often means missing work. Twenty-five percent of families with diaper need who were included in the Diaper Check survey reported missing work or school because they did not have enough diapers to place their baby in child care. On average, these parents missed about five workdays per month, which equates to a loss of $296 for those earning the federal minimum wage. That loss of income can keep families in a vicious cycle of poverty. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have a diaper and you can鈥檛 bring your kid to child care, you can鈥檛 go to work, and if you can鈥檛 go work, you can鈥檛 afford the things you need for your child. That鈥檚 true of all sorts of material, basic needs,鈥� said Goldblum.

The National Diaper Bank Network has about 250 member banks in its network, with locations in every state, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Collectively, the network has distributed over 1 billion diapers since 2011. While some diaper banks distribute diapers to families directly, others operate on a partner model. These diaper banks work with organizations, such as food banks, to ensure families have a one-stop shop to access what they need without traveling to various locations.

Nakeisha Wells founded the in 2019 after discovering that there were no existing diaper banks in Cuyahoga County despite being Ohio’s second most populous county. The organization aims to fill a critical gap in its community and has partnered with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to distribute essentials to families directly out of a new resource center. The center sees 200 to 250 families daily, and Wells estimates that 8000 diapers are distributed per month just at that location. The Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland surveys families every month. In survey responses shared with Early Learning Nation, every parent reported that the number of diapers they received from the Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland helped them reduce stress and keep their child healthier. Parents also shared that distributions from the diaper bank helped them pay bills, go to work, purchase groceries and buy non-food items like toothpaste or soap.

is a nonprofit that has served the Tulsa community for over 40 years and helps families access essentials like diapers, wipes and formula. Jacky Escobedo, the organization鈥檚 director of social services, is proud of the 鈥渓ow barrier process鈥� that allows Emergency Infant Services to make a significant impact. There are no income requirements to get help, and volunteers and staff members rely on conversations with families to assess how they are doing, identify what needs can be met in-house and determine how they can be connected to additional resources. This year alone, Emergency Infant Services has seen close to 29,000 families and has distributed over 1 million diapers.

Diaper banks experienced an unprecedented demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Diaper Bank Network estimates that the need for diapers in communities across the country increased by . Today, much of that demand still lingers, and diaper banks are finding it challenging to keep up. Since February, the number of clients at the Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland鈥檚 weekly diaper distribution has tripled. On any given day, 20 to 30 families are lined up before their doors even open. This year, Emergency Infant Services has seen double the number of families they usually help.

Many have theorized about ways to address unprecedented diaper need, but some solutions are misguided. Policymakers have suggested expanding food-based and nutrition programs like SNAP or WIC to cover the cost of diapers, but the National Diaper Bank Network is not in favor of this option.聽According to Lacey Gero, director of government affairs at the National Diaper Bank Network, SNAP and WIC are already under constant threat of spending cuts and these programs will not receive an influx of funding to provide additional support. More than a quarter of families with diaper need surveyed in Diaper Check already report skipping meals to afford more diapers. With SNAP or WIC expansion, families would still be forced to make impossible decisions about providing for their basic needs with limited resources: do I provide food for my children this month, or are diapers more important? Families would also continue to rely on community resources, such as food banks, to provide whatever they cannot cover on their own, which strains an already fragile system.

Others have suggested that families who struggle to afford disposable diapers should switch to cloth diapers. According to Goldblum, 鈥淭he problem with diaper need is not disposable versus cloth,鈥� and it is 鈥渟implistic to say that [cloth diapers] are the answer.鈥� She added that more than 90 percent of American families use disposable diapers, and the vast majority of child care centers require them. Cloth diapers also demand washing machines, and heavy-duty washing machines at that, to adequately clean them. However, many Americans who struggle financially do not have their own washing machines, and in most laundromats, cloth diapers are not allowed. While cloth diapers may be a trusted option for some, they are not a feasible solution for many families.

Still, many people shame families experiencing diaper need and reject efforts to address this crisis. Rush Limbaugh, a late conservative talk show host, made a mockery of legislation introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro in 2011 that would have provided federal funding to supply child care centers with diapers to help families who could not afford them. Limbaugh said the proposal .鈥� Others have echoed similar sentiments and often ask, why have children if you cannot afford them? The question itself reflects just how poorly our nation treats those experiencing poverty. Wages have remained stagnant while the cost of living and prices of basic necessities have skyrocketed, an obvious mismatch according to Goldblum. It is no surprise that families are struggling to afford diapers. What else do we expect?

As the Diaper Check revealed, it is not just low-income parents who experience diaper need. This problem cuts across income levels and is present in every community. More than a quarter of families who experience diaper need are classified as middle-income. These families often fall through the cracks because they earn too much to qualify for federal assistance programs but still struggle to afford the cost of basic necessities. Most parents who experience diaper need are employed, many with multiple jobs. Goldblum asserts, 鈥淚f people are working and they can’t afford to take care of their family, that’s a societal problem and not an individual problem.鈥�

Half of American families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their children clean, dry and healthy. This crisis is too big to be solved by diaper banks and kind-hearted volunteers alone. The millions of families who experience diaper need require policy solutions, not condemnation or empty platitudes.

Then Smith found out she was pregnant. To make some money she started watching two other children along with her daughter, but the further she got into her pregnancy the harder it was, and she eventually had to stop. The foregone income meant that she couldn鈥檛 afford to buy the things she needed for a new baby. She and her husband are separated and Smith is solely responsible for financially supporting both kids.

鈥淎t that point I really didn鈥檛 have anything,鈥� Smith said. She hadn鈥檛 planned to have another child, so she had given everything of her older daughter鈥檚 away except a crib. She still needed not just a car seat, but smaller things like an outfit to bring her home in from the hospital. She simply couldn鈥檛 afford to buy diapers and wipes. 鈥淚t was emotional for me because I was realizing, 鈥業鈥檓 about to have a baby in a month or so鈥� and I don鈥檛 have anything to even bring her home in,鈥� 鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was very scary because I didn鈥檛 know what I was going to do.鈥�

Then Smith found what she calls a 鈥渂lessing鈥�: the diaper bank in Buffalo, New York. The executive director started sending supplies to Smith鈥檚 home: diapers, wipes, bottles, and even an outfit. 鈥淚t was literally the very first thing, the only thing I had for my unborn child at the time,鈥� she said. Seeing the packages arrive brought her to tears.

鈥淚t was embarrassing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very humbling experience to have to ask somebody to help you provide for your family in that way.鈥� But finding a resource that could help her get the necessities she needed to care for her new baby at least offered her relief. 鈥淚 just looked at it like, 鈥業 can鈥檛 believe that somebody I don鈥檛 even know is helping me with something that鈥檚 so important to me,鈥欌�� she said.

Smith is just one of millions of parents who struggle to afford diapers for their children. In a , the National Diaper Bank Network has found something alarming: diaper need has increased significantly since the last time it surveyed families in 2017. Today nearly half, or 47 percent, of families report not always having enough diapers to change their children as often as they would like, finding it difficult to afford buying diapers for their children, and/or running out of diapers because they couldn鈥檛 afford enough. That鈥檚 much higher than the who reported diaper need in 2017. With such high levels, perhaps it鈥檚 not surprising that the newest survey found diaper need among all income levels. It was very high for low-income households, two-thirds of whom had diaper need, but over a third of middle-income families and even 6 percent of high-income ones also dealt with it.

The survey of 1,000 families with a child under the age of four currently wearing diapers, which was conducted by YouGov, is comparable to the 2017 version, said Kelley Massengale, director of research and evaluation at the Diaper Bank of North Carolina. Both surveyed nationally representative groups of families 鈥� this survey based its demographics on the 2019 American Community Survey 鈥� using the same screening questions to identify those with diaper need. There was one change in the most recent version: clarifying that running out of diapers because a parent forgot to pack enough on an outing doesn鈥檛 qualify as diaper need; in this survey, language was added to make it clear it was about being able to afford enough.

When the pandemic hit and governments shut down businesses and enacted stay at home orders, families lost jobs and income, and diaper need rose sharply. 鈥淒iaper banks across the country responded to an unprecedented request for diapers,鈥� Massengale said. 鈥淢any families experienced diaper need for the first time.鈥� Even after the federal government launched a number of programs aimed at helping households remain financially whole, many families still struggled to buy basic needs. The new survey, conducted in April and May of this year, shows that those struggles continue. 鈥淚t鈥檚 persistent,鈥� Massengale said. Not to mention that most of the pandemic-era programs, from rental assistance and eviction moratoria to extra food stamp benefits to an increased Child Tax Credit, have all ended.

Increasing inflation, meanwhile, has been squeezing family budgets鈥攖he cost of diapers has risen along with food, rent, and other goods. All of this has meant that the crush of demand sparked by the start of the pandemic hasn鈥檛 eased. At the Diaper Bank of North Carolina, 鈥渋t hasn鈥檛 stopped. It just hasn鈥檛 slowed down at all,鈥� Massengale said. 鈥淲e get calls daily asking where they can go for diapers.鈥�

The survey also sheds light on what it means for families to experience diaper need. Among those who reported it, nearly half said they reduced their spending on other needs to afford them, the most common of which was entertainment outside of the home. That can mean a family forgoing a museum outing or the chance to see a movie in the theater. Perhaps more dire, however, was that over a third cut back on food, while one in five reduced spending on utilities. Over a quarter skipped meals so they could buy more diapers. 鈥淧arents are doing everything they can for their children,鈥� said Joanne Goldblum, chief executive officer of the National Diaper Bank Network. 鈥淲e have a system that is so barbaric that we expect parents not to eat in order to provide for the basic needs of their children.鈥�

Diaper need also has a big impact on a family鈥檚 ability to work. Most child care centers require families to send their children with a set supply of diapers. Among those with diaper need, a quarter of parents and caregivers said they had to miss school or work because they didn鈥檛 have enough to send a child to child care. They had missed about five days, on average, in the month prior to the survey.

Diaper need also has mental health impacts. Seventy percent of those who reported diaper need said they were stressed or anxious about caregiving responsibilities, while over half felt judged as a bad parent or caregiver.

Smith is now back to work: she works part-time for Every Bottom Covered. But she鈥檚 still struggling to afford diapers and the other necessities her daughters need. 鈥淭here are times when she may run out before I can afford to get her some more,鈥� Smith said of her baby. She gets diapers through the diaper bank, but it鈥檚 a set amount every 30 days. She is sometimes forced to choose between the basics: paying rent, buying enough food, getting feminine products for herself, or buying diapers and wipes for her youngest. Sometimes she鈥檚 foregone feminine products and used some tissue instead so she could afford diapers. Sometimes she鈥檚 run out completely and had to use some extra blankets or sheets.

鈥淚t鈥檚 embarrassing and it makes you feel bad,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淢ommy guilt is a real thing, to not be able to do essential things for your kids.鈥�

Diaper need is not really a disease itself; it鈥檚 a symptom of how many American families live in such financial precarity that they can鈥檛 afford the most basic of necessities. 鈥淚t is not logical to think that a family would only struggle with diaper need,鈥� Goldblum said. The survey illustrates that 鈥渇amilies are making untenable choices, and diapers are one of those things.鈥�

The country made a different choice in 2021 when it expanded the Child Tax Credit, offering it to all low-income families, even those earning little to no income, sending it out monthly, and increasing the amount to $300 a month for children under age six and $250 for older ones. Child poverty by the end of the year, which meant families had more resources to afford all of their needs, including diapers. 鈥淭he problem with poverty is not having the money you need,鈥� Goldblum pointed out. These kind of payments lifted the burden of diaper need from far more families.

There are other big policy solutions Goldblum says would address the problem, such as universal, affordable child care and preschool 鈥� both of which would ease families鈥� budgets and therefore make more room to afford diapers 鈥� or a minimum wage that increases automatically with inflation so families鈥� pay can keep up with the cost of their needs.

One thing that won鈥檛 necessarily solve the problem: cloth diapers. They require families to do extra laundry 鈥� families who are already struggling to afford basics like laundry detergent or laundromat money. Plus, many child care providers won鈥檛 even accept cloth diapers given that soiled ones have to be stored for a parent to take back home. It鈥檚 therefore 鈥渘ot necessarily a solution that parents can access all the time,鈥� Massengale said.

Smaller but meaningful solutions to diaper need could include adding federal funding to ensure every child care center that accepts subsidies is also given money to provide families with diapers. 鈥淭hat is something that could be done easily,鈥� Goldblum said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a single budget line item.鈥� The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides qualifying low-income families with cash, could add a diaper credit, similar to in 2017. Federal buildings, homeless shelters and federally qualified health centers could have diapers to give away for free.

Some action has already been taken. In 2022, the federal Administration for Children and Families announced it would for the first time in grants to get more diapers to families struggling to afford them. have exempted diapers from sales tax, with more currently considering doing the same.

But it鈥檚 not clear when larger-scale relief will come. The expanded Child Tax Credit expired at the end of 2021, as one potent example, and lawmakers haven鈥檛 brought it back.

鈥淭here鈥檚 still not a unified response, on a policy level, to address child poverty in the United States,鈥� Goldblum said.