Last Updated: July 2023 

Diaper need—the gap between sufficient diapers to keep a child dry and what their caregiver can provide—affects more than 5 million children in the United States. One in three families struggle to provide enough diapers to change their child frequently enough, and families with marginalized identities or backgrounds are disproportionately affected. Lack of sufficient diapers can lead to health consequences, such as diaper rash, severe dermatitis, infections, and hospitalization. Diapers, which cost nearly $100 per month per child, can be a serious burden for parents with low earnings and those who are out of work or unable to work. Expanding TANF assistance would better support families in need to afford basic necessities like diapers.  

Advocates can also push for their states to specifically provide diaper benefits to TANF recipients—in 2017, California’s legislature passed a $30 per child monthly diaper benefit for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants, and in 2021, four states provided budget funding directly to diaper banks. Last legislative session, Washington passed SB 5838 to authorize additional payments for diapers and other child-related necessities to TANF families with children under three. DC and Michigan’s FY 2023 budgets also appropriated funds to create a diaper bank program and diaper assistance programs respectively.  

Key Resources: 

CBPP – End Diaper Need and Period Poverty: Families Need Cash Assistance to Meet Basic Needs: This CBPP fact sheet provides basic information on diaper need; ways in which current government programs fall short; and different policy levers (which include expanding TANF cash assistance) to help families afford diapers.  

Diaper Distribution Programs: Overview of Programs and Available Research | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov): This literature review completed by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (part of the Administration for Children and Families) provides a foundational overview of diaper distribution programs. This included analyzing different program models for diaper distribution programs and their positive outcomes for caregivers and their children.  

Diaper Dilemma: Low-Income Families Face High Costs and Limited Supplies of an Essential Good – INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON POVERTY: This short policy brief outlines the negative impacts of diaper scarcity and the ways in which current federal programs, such as TANF, are currently insufficient in filling the need. The brief also argues that current diaper banks are not enough as a solution and proposes additional policy solutions—such as increasing safety net program funds and making diapers non-taxable.