Hickory – National Diaper Need Awareness Week is organized by The National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN), a national nonprofit established in 2011 in partnership with founding sponsor Huggies. NDBN is the leading authority on diaper need: the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep a baby clean, dry, and healthy.

Diapers are material basic necessities all children require, as essential as food, shelter, and clothing. Yet, most state and national safety-net programs do not recognize them as a basic need. Babies require up to 12 diapers a day at a cost of $70 to $80 per month per baby. With 5 million infants and toddlers living in poor and low-income families, 1 in 3 American families struggle to meet this need.

A recent study conducted by NDBN and Huggies found that 57% of parents who rely on child care said they missed an average of four days of school or work in the past month because they didn’t have diapers. This is because most child care centers, even free and subsidized facilities, require parents to provide a day’s supply of disposable diapers. Households experiencing diaper need are an average of 50 diapers short a month. More than a quarter of families in diaper need rely on diaper banks to help fill the gap.

The Children’s Resource Center is holding a two-week diaper drive from Monday, September 27th through Friday, October 8th. Donations may be dropped off Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm at 738 4th St SW in Hickory. Diapers may also be purchased using our Amazon Wish List, available at https://smile.amazon.com/gp/ch/list/58-2139195/ref=smi_cl_bc_lol1_lol. All donations will be re-distributed to needy families in Catawba County. For more information, reach out to Holly Aldridge, Family Support Specialist, at 828-695-6517 or [email protected].

The Children’s Resource Center is a program of Catawba County Partnership for Children, a nonprofit agency that works to ensure children enter kindergarten healthy and prepared for lifelong success. All of their work is focused on children from birth to age five and their families, connecting them to high quality early childhood services and resources. For more information or to donate, go to https://catawbakids.com.