In a study done by the National Diaper Bank Network, one in two families in the United States with young children face a diaper need, which has significantly grown since 2014 as one in three families struggled to obtain an adequate supply of diapers. Since experiencing diaper need herself, Lee Ann Porter founded Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank in 2015 to address the diaper need among families in Central Illinois:
“I had in 2004 actually experienced diaper need. I didn’t know that that is what it was called. I had never heard those two words put together that way. It was a hard time. I had gone through a divorce, had three kids, the youngest was in diapers, and there wasn’t any place to get any assistance. I could get help with food, I could get help with rent, a lot of different things while we were trying to get back on our feet, but there wasn’t any place for diapers. In 2014, I read an article online that said one in three families experiences diaper need and that is when I realized it hadn’t just been a thing that I had experienced, that so many families were experiencing it. I looked around and it was going to be pretty hard pressed to be able to get any diapers and if I did, it was just going to be a handful that would maybe get me through a day. I then said lets hold a diaper drive and we did. Then a year later we formed a non-profit.”
Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank partners with 28 community organizations across 12 counties, including Jamieson Community Center and the area Regional Office of Education prenatal to three programs.
The NDBN Diaper Check 2023 Study Reveals
Nearly Half of U.S. Families with Young Children Struggle to Afford Diapers
Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank Is Working to End Diaper Need
by Providing Clean Diapers to Central Illinois Families in Need
Galesburg, Illinois, June 15, 2023- Nearly half (47%) of U.S. families with young children struggle to afford diapers, according to the initial findings of The NDBN Diaper Check 2023: Diaper Insecurity Among Children and Families, a nationally representative study commissioned by the National Diaper Bank Network.
The findings of The NDBN Diaper Check 2023 reveal a growing need for material basic necessities among families across the United States, with a significant increase in need since the first study conducted on diaper need in 2010, which found that one in three families (about 33%) struggle to obtain an adequate supply of diapers for their children.
“Each percentage point in these findings represents real children and families grappling with a very tangible need. In our service area, this represents an estimated 13,000 babies whose families face heart-wrenching decisions between basic necessities,” said Lee Ann Porter, Founder and Executive Director of Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank. “Having experienced diaper need as a mom in 2004, I know this struggle intimately. As we celebrate the distribution of our two millionth diaper, it’s troubling to realize the demand for our services is higher now than when we started.”
Since 2015, Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank has worked to end diaper need by providing area families with free diapers and other material basic necessities. The NDBN Diaper Check 2023 underscores the importance of our work, indicating that diaper need forces families to cut back on essentials, take on additional jobs, and even miss work as they cannot leave their baby in child care without a supply of diapers. These challenges have far-reaching implications on the physical and mental health, stress levels, and financial stability of families across the United States. Our work requires sustainable community support to ensure we remain a reliable resource for the children and families we serve.
“Diaper need is a public health crisis. As the study shows, it is associated with physical, emotional, and economic harm to children and families,” said NDBN CEO Joanne Samuel Goldblum. “NDBN’s more than 300 member basic needs banks have done amazing work to rise to the challenge of diaper need, and one thing is certain: this study is a call to action to support community-based diaper banks and advocate for public policies to end diaper need.”
To support Loving Bottom’s work to end diaper need and provide resources for children and families in our region, visit www.LovingBottoms.org or contact them at hello@lovingbottoms.org.
The National Diaper Bank Network plans to make The NDBN Diaper Check an annual survey and will continue to release data from the 2023 survey throughout the year.
About Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank
Founded by Lee Ann Porter in 2015, Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing diaper need in Central Illinois. As a mom who experienced diaper need in 2004, Lee Ann understood the hardship of families deciding between basic necessities. Our mission is to ensure that no family faces such a decision. Loving Bottoms partners with 28 community organizations across 12 counties, distributing over 2 million diapers since our inception. Despite these achievements, the demand for our services has only increased, a testament to the ongoing public health crisis that is diaper need. Our team, our volunteers, and our community supporters are committed to ending diaper need in our region. For more information, visit www.LovingBottoms.org.
