In anticipation of Diaper Need Awareness Week (Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, 2015), The National Diaper Bank Network posted this important story about how diaper need and maternal depression go hand in hand:
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By: Mary SauerAug. 17, 2015With 1 in 3 American families reporting their diapering needs are remaining unmet, this is not a need we can ignore.
“An adequate supply of diapers may prove to be a tangible way of reducing parenting stress and increasing parenting sense of competency, enabling parents to be more sensitive with their children, and thereby improving parenting quality and overall child outcomes,” wrote Smith, author of the Yale study.
And here’s the thing, postpartum depression is not the only negative consequence of being unable to afford diapers. Babies who are not changed often enough are more susceptible to UTIs or other infections. Babies who are not changed often enough experience discomfort, which causes them to cry more frequently, which in turn makes them more likely to suffer abuse at the hands of their caregivers. Additionally, most state-funded daycare centers require a week’s worth of disposables, which means mothers who cannot afford diapers cannot put their child in daycare in order to work so they can afford to buy diapers—it is a heartbreaking cycle.
With 1 in 3 American families reporting their diapering needs are remaining unmet, this is not a need we can ignore. Coming face-to-face with these statistics motivated me to research practical ways ordinary people with ordinary budgets can help meet this need in their area. Here is what I discovered:
Give diapers: Even those of us on a tight budget could easily find a little extra money each month to donate a $7 package of diapers. Using the National Diaper Bank Network, you can find a local diaper bank where you can drop regular donations.
Give money: On their website, the National Diaper Bank Network lists several different ways you can give money, from setting up a monthly auto debit to making a one-time donation in someone’s honor for their birthday.
Host a diaper drive: If you want to make a bigger impact on eliminating diapering needs in your community, organizing a diaper drive is a great way to gather a lot of diapers in a short amount of time. Take advantage of social media, your kids’ teams or organizations or your church as a way to solicit donations.
Are you struggling to purchase diapers for your child? If you are stretching your child longer between diaper changes because you cannot afford diapers, there are many ways you can quickly get assistance. A quick google search of “I can’t afford diapers in Missouri” led me to a long list of local and national organizations which help supply low-income families with diapers. One of the very best resources I found, the National Diaper Bank Network, has a searchable database of diaper banks for the entire country.
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Would you like to be a part of “the change?” Please consider donating to the cause! It’s as easy as the click of a button: Donate
The Diaper Train: Changing diapers, changing lives!