TOLEDO, Ohio — If you have a little one, you know the cost of diapers and how it adds up. National data is showing the toll diaper prices are taking on households.
Beth Schwandt is the operations manager for Salvation Army of Northwest Ohio and has seen the toll locally.
"They're desperate because maybe they're using diapers from another child," Schwandt said.
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 1 in 2 U.S. families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their infant or child clean, dry and healthy, meaning babies are more vulnerable to painful rashes and urinary tract infections and potentially more trips to the doctor.
"Half of the mothers experiencing diaper need, consider diaper need to be more stressful than not having enough food and it increases rates of postpartum depression. There's diaper rash in UTIs in children. So it really affects a whole lot of domains and diaper need affects our whole community," Lily Vrzal, Junior League of Toledo, said.
In Lucas County, 1 in 5 families have to decide whether they want to get food or diapers, according to Salvation Army of Northwest Ohio. It's why the Junior League of Toledo started the As We Go Diaper Bank in 2020.
The nonprofit works with the Salvation Army and with Medicaid to get clients diapers if they need them.
"We have so far distributed about 150,000 diapers to local area families, which is equal to about 1,700 weeks worth of diapers," Vrzal said.
Babies will use around 6,000 diapers during their first two years of life, data from the National Diaper Bank Network shows. Disposable diapers in the U.S. cost between 20 to 30 cents per diaper, and families will spend around $70 per month on diapers. That's almost $1,700 in two years.
Junior League of Toledo says that where people live can add to the struggle of finding affordable diapers.
"If you don't live near a Walmart or Target and you have to go get, you know, a small pack of diapers at the dollar store per diaper, it's a lot more expensive," Vrzal said. "So that's one of the big issues is there are affordable diapers, but not everyone has access to them."
If you want to help, the Junior League of Toledo is hosting a fundraiser benefiting the As We Grow Diaper Bank. It's a proper tea luncheon at Clara J's in Maumee on July 14. For more info, visit Junior League of Toledo at this link.