In the United States 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers.

Access to diapers is an essential need for a child’s well-being, similar to food, shelter, medicine and devoted care. Unlike other basic needs such as food and heat, federal and state “safety-net” programs including Medicaid, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) do not provide provisions to help families with obtaining diapers.

Infants typically use up to 12 diapers per day, while a toddler uses up to 8 diapers a day.

Diapers cost approximately $70 – $80 per month for one child and often low-income families pay more for each diaper purchased. For example, according to the Pediatric Nursing report in 2015, “Diaper Need: A Change for Better Health,” low-income families may not have transportation to or be able to afford memberships to warehouse clubs to make bulk diaper purchases or have enough money to purchase larger packages of diapers which often provide a lower per diaper cost than smaller packages, or have access to the internet to make discounted diaper purchases online.

Babies who remain too long in a soiled diaper are exposed to potential health risks and are more likely to experience child abuse and neglect. 

There are a number of physical health, mental health, educational and economic consequences associated with diaper need. According to the Pediatrics study in 2013, “Diaper Need and Its Impact on Child Health” –

• 30% of low-income mothers reported they could not afford to change their child’s diaper as frequently as they wished
• 1 in 10 mothers reported stretching diapers, a practice associated with diaper dermatitis and urinary tract infections
• More than 30% of respondents reported increased levels of maternal stress and depression as a result of diaper need.
• These mental health needs were even more pronounced in mothers who had trouble obtaining diapers than in mothers who reported food insecurity.

Child care programs required families to provide at least a day’s supply of diapers and many parents cannot go to work or school if they can’t leave their children at child care.

If families do not have the number of diapers required by the child care program, parents may have to miss work or school to stay home with the child further limiting income and opportunities. If the parent cannot utilize child care to comply with requirements of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), they may lose their child care and other benefits. Primarily, without child care, children miss the opportunities for quality early childhood education and thus the achievement gap widens.

Every child in Southeast Colorado deserves to be clean, dry and healthy!

Just as food banks are a reliable source of support for families in need, diaper banks provide a basic need for families in crisis. The 2021 Kids Count Data Sheets reports that 26.7% of children in the three counties we serve (Baca, Kiowa, Prowers) are living in poverty. The Cornerstone Resource Center is bringing awareness to diaper need – the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to remain clean, dry and healthy.

As the Children and Youth Services Review study in 2017, “Organizational and Health Promotion Benefits of Diaper Bank and Community-Based Organization Partnerships,” points out families who received diapers from a diaper bank reported a range of positive health, social and economic outcomes including –

• An increase in parental happiness and a reduction in caregiver stress
• The ability to spend income on other basic needs including utility bills, and medical bills; and improved attendance at child care, work and school

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE DIAPER BANK AT THE CORNERSTONE RESOURCE CENTER?

If you and/or your organization are looking for a volunteer opportunity, the Diaper Bank is a great place to serve!

Volunteer opportunities include but are not limited to –

• Organization, unloading, unpacking, repackaging and storage of diapers and wipes
• Volunteer Transportation Specialist – a courteous driver to pick up and/or deliver diapers to predetermined sites to support families and community organizations once a month

To make a monetary donation towards the support of the Diaper Bank @ The Cornerstone – 

If you are interested in contributing to Diaper Bank with a financial gift, please consider contributing by mailing donations that denote “Diaper Bank,” to The Cornerstone Resource Center, 111 W Parmenter St, Lamar, CO 81052.

If you cannot find what you are looking for on this page or have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact, Jenni Mortimeyer at 719-691-6089 or director@cornerstoneco.org.

Thank you for supporting the Diaper Bank@ The Cornerstone and the children and families of Baca, Kiowa, and Prowers Counties!