Diaper Need Met Among Low-Income US Children Younger Than 4 Years in 2016

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Determinants of Health
• Poverty and Child Welfare

Background:

• Diaper insecurity affects a significant number of low-income families in the United States.
• Access to diapers is crucial for infant and child health and well-being.
• Existing community-based safety nets, like diaper banks, aim to address this need.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the collective efforts of diaper banks nationwide.
• To estimate the proportion of diaper needs met for low-income children.
• To assess the reach of the diaper bank network in the US.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 262 diaper banks across the US between January and March 2017.
• Data on 2016 activities were collected from participating diaper banks.
• State-level analysis compared the number of children under 4 in families below 200% federal poverty level with those served by diaper banks.

Main Results:

• The percentage of children experiencing diaper need who received assistance from a diaper bank varied by state, ranging from 0% to 16% monthly.
• A small proportion of eligible children accessed diapers through this network.
• Significant gaps exist in meeting the diaper needs of low-income families.

Conclusions:

• The study concludes that the current network of nonprofit diaper banks meets only a small fraction of the diaper needs of low-income families.
• The findings underscore the limited reach of the existing community-based safety net for diaper insecurity.
• Federal, state, and municipal policies are recommended to address this consequence of poverty.