Diaper pantries can help low-income parents

Every young parent knows the birth or adoption of a baby brings surprises and, in many cases, unexpected expenses.

After the baby gifts are opened, the new furniture bought or borrowed and the baby clothes sorted, the first years or so seems like an endless time of dealing with diapers.

And those diapers don’t come cheaply. A box of 84 at Stop & Shop can run $29, and newborns go through 8 to 10 diapers a day.

Like everything else, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted shortages and higher prices for food, fuel and consumer goods. Those price hikes are making it even tougher for many low-income parents to buy the essentials, including diapers.

In reporting this week, State House News Service cites advocates for people on the economic edge who note the ability of parents to buy diapers can factor into whether they’re able to put their children in daycare and return to work, since most daycare centers require parents to provide at least a day’s supply of diapers.

“Diapers are an essential item for babies and too many families in Massachusetts are struggling to make sure their children have a sufficient supply,” said Rep. Mindy Domb, an Amherst Democrat.

The Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities heard testimony on bills Monday that propose a greater role for the state in helping ensure that diaper pantries and other community providers that distribute diapers have the resources they need to meet the demand.

Lawmakers are working on a plan to establish a pilot program for 12 providers around the state to help purchase, store and distribute diapers. The news service said the bill – sponsored by Domb and Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, a Lenox Democrat, in the House, and Sen. Joan Lovely, D-Salem, in the Senate – would also require those providers to track and report on the impact of the pilot. The money would come from the state or private donations with the idea that buying diapers in bulk from the right vendor brings down the cost and would help more families keep stocked up.

California, Colorado and the state of Washington already have similar programs.

“The diaper needs have been out of this world, like something I’ve never seen before,” Jamill Martinez, director of network organizing for Lawrence CommunityWorks, said in coverage by the news service.

Lisa Smith, deputy director at Neighbors in Need, which runs a diaper pantry in Lawrence and helps more than 1,200 families a year, said 75% of the diapers it distributes come from private donations.

To fill the demand, Smith said she buys through stores like Walmart, but has run up against the same supply chain shortages and delays hitting other consumer products.

“This bill would allow diaper banks to have the resources to buy in greater quantity,” Smith said.

Rep. Christina Minicucci, D-North Andover, said she remembers the “sticker shock” of buying diapers for the first time when she had the first of her three children, and knows what it’s like to struggle with expenses as a young family.

“It’s not rare to find parents who have to reuse disposable diapers or come up with alternate methods to keep their kids dry,” she said.

Helping diaper pantries who can help low-income families was one solution discussed Monday.

But lawmakers might also address another hurdle as well.

Current regulations don’t allow parents who receive food assistance to use their public benefits to buy diapers. To address that, state Rep. Steven Xiarhos, R-Barnstable, filed a bill that would entitle anyone who qualifies for Department of Transitional Assistance benefits to receive an extra $30 a month for diapers.

Xiarhos, who was a Yarmouth police officer before he was elected to the House, said, “I’ve seen firsthand how people struggle.”

Families on limited incomes are facing more than enough economic challenges as the pandemic continues and winter rolls in. Lawmakers are right to do whatever they can to help ease the burden for people who need to buy essentials, including diapers.