How Many Families Can’t Afford Diapers? More Than You’d Think

It’s no mystery that buying all the stuff you need for baby is going to be (or is already!) expensive, but I never realized just how many families can’t afford diapers. It turns out that nearly 30 percent of American families (that’s almost one in three!) don’t have enough money to buy enough disposable diapers to keep their babies clean and dry throughout the day and night. Because those families can’t keep their little loves regularly changed, they often leave their children in wet or soiled diapers for extended periods of time, “stretching their use,” which can lead to health complications, and almost definitely makes for a cranky babies.

I can already hear the argument of, “Well, why don’t they just buy a set of cloth reusable diapers?,” but the sad truth is that cloth diapers simply aren’t a realistic option for many low-income families. The way things are set up, the government subsidizes early childhood education and childcare for families in need, but in order to bring a child to these facilities, parents must  provide a full supply of disposable diapers for their little one. And since diapers aren’t subsidized by the government (you can’t even buy them with food stamps, which is beyond crazy), many families don’t have access to a full supply. No diapers = No daycare, and for many families No daycare = No job = Even less money coming in.

Thankfully, someone’s trying to fix this horrible, unhealthy cycle so that babies can stay clean and parents can work to better their families.California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez has sponsored a state bill (The Healthy Baby Bottom Act of 2014—LOVE that name!) that would allot $80 a month for low-income families to use toward diapers from birth until their child’s second birthday. If it passes, experts are estimating that 1.2 million impoverished babies and toddlers would benefit. We’ve got to do better for our little ones, and for families in general—really hoping this bill gets the support it deserves.

But what can we do in the meantime to help ? Host a diaper drive or even a fun party where you ask each guest to bring a pack of new diapers, and then donate them to a diaper bank in your region.  One of my favorite organizations is Baby Buggy. They have locations in New York and in Los Angeles, but you can help from anywhere! You never know how much it would mean to a struggling family—and what a difference it might make in their lives.