Diaper Need Awareness Week: Dry, Clean Diapers For All Children

DERBY - Monday, September 28 marks the start of “Diaper Need Awareness Week,” organized by the National Diaper Network.

Though diapers are a basic need for every child in their first years and are essential to the health and well-being of the child, safety net programs that provide assistance to low-income families such as SNAP (food stamps) and WIC do not cover the purchase of diapers.

Infants and toddlers use between 8 and 12 diapers per day, at a cost of $70-$80 per month. Unable to afford a constant supply of fresh diapers, parents may frequently leave their baby in a soiled diaper for long periods of time, leading to rashes, infections, and other health problems. Desperate parents may occasionally resort to drying out soiled diapers for reuse. A Yale University study found that about 30 percent of low-income parents can’t afford to change their children’s diapers as often as they should be changed.

“Diaper need is a major problem for so many families in our state, affecting not just the health of children, but the economic prospects for parents forced to miss work because they can’t send children to daycare without a proper supply of diapers,” says TEAM President/CEO David Morgan.

Without a sufficient supply of disposable diapers, children are not able to enter child care and parents may not be able to return to work or school, leading to economic instability and continuing the cycle of poverty.

To address the needs of families in the Valley, TEAM Diaper Bank provides monthly diapers and wipes to more than 200 eligible families residing in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton.

As part of Diaper Need Awareness Week, TEAM Diaper Bank will be hosting 2 workshops providing diapering and potty training support for all families with young children in the community. The public is invited to register for the workshops, held Monday, September 28 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at Irving School, 9 Garden Place in Derby, or Thursday, October 1 from 5:30-7:30 PM at TEAM Early Education Center, 80 Howard Avenue in Ansonia.

For further information about TEAM Diaper Bank or to donate, please contact Ayanna Williams at awilliams@teaminc.org or 203-736-5420 ext. 204.
(This is a press release from TEAM, Inc.)