Mapping Diaper Insecurity in the U.S.
“With the rising cost of living, many families with young children in the US are struggling to afford basic necessities, like diapers and period products. This often forces caregivers to make trade-offs that can negatively affect both their and their children’s health and well-being.
According to the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) Diaper Check 2024, about half (46 percent) of families with children ages 3 and younger struggle to afford diapers(PDF). That rate is even higher among families with low incomes: about 60 percent said they couldn’t purchase enough diapers to keep their children healthy and dry.
Less frequent diaper changes put children at risk of developing urinary tract infections and rashes. Parents and caregivers who struggle to afford diapers are twice as likely to report feeling depressed nearly every day, compared with those who can afford diapers. About one in four parents struggling to afford diapers say they skipped meals to save money for diapers. The average monthly cost of diapers for one child is about $100, yet the median family could only afford to pay $65, according to Urban’s analysis of the NDBN Diaper Check 2024 data.
For postpartum caregivers, the financial challenges of being a new parent are compounded. Our analysis of the NDBN Diaper Check 2024 found 35 percent of families that are diaper insecure also struggle to afford period products. These families might put the money they previously spent on period products toward diapers.
Unmet diaper and period product needs are costly for the broader economy. In 2024, about one in four parents and caregivers who did not have enough diapers for their children reported missing work or school because they could not leave their children at child care. Similarly, when women don’t have period products when they need them, they report feeling embarrassed, stressed, unhealthy, and sad; missing work and school; and avoiding seeing other people.
In response to the growing need, many communities have established what are known as basic needs banks that provide free diapers, period products, and other essentials. Based on the National Diaper Bank Network’s membership, basic needs banks offering diapers serve about 50 percent of US counties. Fewer counties (38 percent) are served by basic needs banks that provide period products.
These basic needs banks fill a critical gap in support for families with low incomes. Federal programs that help families purchase basic necessities, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), do not cover diapers or period products. Some states have created policies and direct assistance programs to address diaper insecurity.
In a new Urban analysis, we estimate how many diapers it would take to address the gap faced by households with children 3 and younger that are below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. We find it would take an average of almost 4.8 billion diapers each year to fill the gap.
Understanding this gap can help federal, state, and local policymakers, as well as advocates and community leaders, develop strategies to improve access to basic hygiene products and ultimately ensure families have what they need to be healthy and thrive.”
Read more at the Urban Institute.