1 in 3 families in this country struggle to provide diapers to their children. As moms and Co-Presidents of Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization, this statistic has driven us to dedicate our careers to providing basic essentials to children living in poverty across the country. At Baby2Baby, we provide everything a child needs – from cribs to backpacks, socks and underwear, strollers to school supplies and everything in between. But there is one item that tops every list every time – diapers. They are like gold to the families we serve.
Moms in our program are literally emptying out their babies’ diapers, hanging them to dry and then putting them back on their babies. This is because food stamps do not cover diapers, and families living in poverty pay roughly twice as much for diapers as average families due to not having the same access to big box stores and internet deals. Additionally, most daycare facilities require parents to provide a full day’s supply of diapers for their child. And without childcare, parents cannot reenter the workforce and children are missing out on early childhood educational opportunities because of an inadequate supply of this one basic essential.
The struggle to provide diapers for their children is just one example of what families in our program face every day. At Baby2Baby, we are here to help children living in poverty regardless of how their families arrived there. We don’t judge what happened – because when we get to these innocent children, they are wearing dirty diapers and sleeping on the floor and to us, it doesn’t matter why – just how we can change it. We provide these children with all the essentials that every child deserves. Because when their basic needs are met, families can keep their lights on, pay their rent, get back to work, and get back on their feet.
Baby2Baby is committed to advocating on behalf of the millions of families who struggle to provide basic essentials to their children every day. To date, Baby2Baby has distributed over 50 million items, including 29 million diapers, to children in homeless and domestic violence shelters, foster care programs, hospitals, underserved schools and families across the country who have lost everything in the wake of devastating natural disasters and emergency situations.
Please watch this video that tells the story of a very special family who we have the privilege of serving at Baby2Baby.
To learn more about the work Baby2Baby is doing in Los Angeles and across the country, please visit Baby2Baby.org.
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