What if diapers were free for the parents who need them most?

Chabeli Carrazana

Economy and Child Care Reporter

Published

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In America, diapers have long been treated as a luxury good rather than a necessity.

Half of families with young kids struggle to afford all the diapers they need. A quarter of families miss work as a result, often because they don’t have enough diapers to send with their children to child care.

It’s a largely invisible issue with enormous consequences for the health of parents and children. Studies have found that diaper need is a greater contributor to postpartum depression than food insecurity and housing instability. And when parents don’t have enough diapers, they make do with sanitary pads, rags or other materials. Some report having to leave their children in soiled diaper