Groups in Missouri are urging Congress to pass a full-year, fully-funded appropriations bill, instead of a parade of stopgap continuing resolutions to fund support programs for low-income and working people across the state. Between 2010 and 2021, many programs serving low-income people nationwide lost ground taking inflation into account, according to the Coalition on Human Needs. But Jill Gaikowski with Kansas City’s diaper bank, Happy Bottoms, says many low-income families struggle to pay for diapers. She hopes to see funding included in the next omnibus spending bill.
More than a quarter of respondents to a survey by the diaper bank said they’ve had to choose between paying for food or utilities and buying diapers. Gaikowski adds not having enough diapers can have health effects on both moms and babies – mothers are twice as likely to report depression when they can’t provide for their kids, which can affect a child’s development. And babies’ diapers aren’t changed as often, which results in health problems.
She adds childcare centers require parents to provide disposable diapers for the day – some parents report having to miss work because they don’t have the diapers to send with their child. She hopes Congress will address this major need in an appropriations bill.
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