Sometimes the most basic needs
are the most overlooked.
Every 31 minutes in Missouri alone, a child is born into poverty. For each, the need for diapers remains an overlooked yet fundamental area for help despite today’s best outreach efforts. Here are a few reasons why fulfilling this need is so critical:
- Safety-net programs such as food stamps and WIC (Women Infants and Children) don’t cover the purchase of diapers.
- Diaper companies don’t make big donations to shelters or outreach programs.
- Diapers are expensive — plus cost exponentially more at inner-city convenience stores compared to big-box stores or online.
- Cloth isn’t an option for the families we serve. If you’re poor, you probably don’t own a washing machine, and Laundromats don’t allow cloth diapers. Additionally, licensed day care centers, especially those that are free or subsidized, don’t accept cloth diapers.
- If a family can’t afford diapers, a baby will spend extended periods, sometimes days, in the same soiled diaper. This amplifies the risk of numerous health problems, including diaper rash, and may be linked to an increased rate of hepatitis.
- Unhappy babies are crying babies. And crying babies are more likely to be abused by already stressed-out caregivers.