National Diaper Need Awareness Week
National Diaper Need Awareness Week
September 23 – 29, 2024
Learn more about the diaper need crisis that millions of American families face every day—and how you can help.
The National Diaper Bank Network defines diaper need as “the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep an infant or child clean, dry, and healthy.”
What is National Diaper Need Awareness Week?
National Diaper Need Awareness Week is a signature initiative of the National Diaper Bank Network which provides individuals, organizations, communities, and elected officials the opportunity to engage in real talk and simple actions. By working together, we can ensure that all babies have access to clean diapers and other basic necessities required for them to thrive and reach their full potential. As part of our work to end Clothing Insecurity, Cradles to Crayons is committed to also ending diaper need.
Cradles to Crayons is a proud member of the National Diaper Bank Network, which connects and supports community-based diaper banks that collect, store, and distribute free diapers to families experiencing diaper need. The Network as a whole serves nearly 320,000 children throughout the country each month.
Diapers are a baby’s most essential piece of clothing, yet 1 in 2 U.S. families lack the resources to afford the high cost of diapers and keep their baby clean, dry, and healthy.
From April 2023 through March 2024, Cradles to Crayons distributed 3.5 million diapers in Massachusetts, 3 million diapers in Greater Philadelphia, and 2.1 million diapers in Chicagoland.
Diaper Need in the United States
- The average infant wears up to 12 diapers a day – that is 360 diapers in a month and roughly 4,320 diapers in a year for just one child. At an average of 22 cents per diaper, this monthly expense can range from $50 to $120.
- 40% of U.S. households with children struggle to afford their weekly expenses, making the escalating costs of diapers and baby essentials inaccessible for families experiencing poverty.
- 28% of families with diaper need skipped meals last month so they could afford diapers.
Help protect our most vulnerable population.
Donate today to help fund our efforts to end diaper need for children in Massachusetts, Greater Philadelphia, and Chicagoland. Together we can help children grow up safe and healthy, and ease the burden on caregivers.
Donate to End Diaper Need
