One in two U.S. families with young children struggles to provide enough diapers for their baby. During National Diaper Need Awareness Week (Sept. 18 – Sept. 24, 2023), Anne Arundel County’s Walk the Walk Foundation invites individuals, organizations, elected officials and others to learn about this growing public health crisis and actions that can help end diaper need in our community.
The average cost of diapers has increased 32% since 2019, which negatively impacts household budgets, particularly among low-wage earners and families living in poverty. One in three families struggle to provide clean, dry diapers for their children. A baby will use around 7,000 diapers before being potty trained. Diapers, which cost nearly $100 per month per child, can be a serious burden for parents with low earnings and those who are out of work or unable to work.
Fifty-three percent of parents experiencing diaper need feel judged as a parent or caregiver because they cannot afford diapers, while 70% of households in need experience feeling stressed or overwhelmed about their responsibilities as a caregiver. (source: The NDBN Diaper Check 2023: Diaper Insecurity Among U.S. Children and Families, 2023). Walk the Walk Foundation is part of the National Diaper Bank Network, helping many organizations with their diaper donations. The foundation provided Anne Arundel County families with over 150,000 diapers and supplies in 2022.
“Most childcare centers require parents to provide four to six disposable diapers a day,” said Nicole Dolan, Executive Director of Walk the Walk Foundation. “Diapers cannot be purchased with SNAP or WIC. Many parents cannot go to work or school if they can’t leave their babies at childcare. Our current estimated diaper distribution for 2023 is an increase of 33% compared to last year,” Dolan said.
Visit Walk the Walk to find diaper donation locations and to learn more about hosting a diaper drive locally. Monetary donations are also welcomed.
