One in two families struggles to provide clean diapers to keep their baby dry and healthy.

In the US, nearly half (46%) of families with young children experience diaper need. The National Diaper Bank study on poverty has ranked diapers third in basic needs of families after rent and food.

When facing a shortage of diapers, 30% of families* keep a child in the same diaper longer, exposing infants to high rates of severe diaper rash and urinary tract infections. Studies also show that some families will forgo food to buy diapers.

Most childcare facilities require parents to provide diapers for their child. According to a survey from the National Diaper Bank Network, 25% of parents experiencing diaper need who rely on childcare miss an average of five days of work or school a month due to the lack of diapers to send for their children.

A new study from the University of Houston found there were 16,000 additional childbirths in Texas in 2022 over the 2021 total, increasing the state's fertility rate for the first time since 2014.

Within the DFW community, an estimated 24 million diapers per month are needed to support low-income families with infants.

For more information see the Texas Diaper Facts Sheet from the National Diaper Bank Network.

* Center for Economic and Policy Research