Fixing a Leaky U.S. Social Safety Net: Diapers, Policy, and Low-Income Families

October 19, 2022

Jennifer Randles (California State University, Fresno) has authored a paper in the latest issue of RSF: The Russell Sage Journal for the Social Sciences that investigates diaper need – lacking enough diapers to keep an infant dry, comfortable, and healthy. One in three mothers in the United States experiences diaper need and families of color, unemployed parents, and parents with low levels of education are disproportionately affected. Randles explores how diaper need impacts low-income mothers’ caregiving and why income and existing public aid are not always enough to cover diapers.

Randles draws on in-depth interviews with 70 mothers to better understand their experiences with diaper need. Almost all of the women Randles interviewed had run out of diapers at least once, and many experienced anxiety and depression due to diaper need. As current social programs do not specifically cover diapers, mothers devised multiple strategies in order to best keep their children clean and healthy. These “diaper stretching strategies” include using paper towels and other household items as makeshift diapers, leaving used diapers on longer, and having their children go diaperless when not in public. Mothers would also borrow diapers or diaper money from family, friends, and their children’s fathers. However, many mothers were reluctant to ask for help from their social networks because they felt judged on their parenting abilities.

Mothers also sought other sources of diaper support, such as churches, diaper banks, and family service agencies. However, mothers found challenges when attempting to access support from these organizations. Randles finds that “mothers spent significant time and energy tracking when diaper distributions were scheduled, arranging for how to get there, and ensuring they had the proper documentation or proof of need, which often included the physical presence of children.” Even after overcoming such hurdles, many mothers reported they were unable to obtain diapers in their children’s sizes or the number of diapers they needed. Additionally, half of the mothers in the study reported having negative experiences when seeking diaper support. Many mothers felt judged by the organizations offering diaper aid and worried that asking for help may be result in involvement with the child welfare system due to perceived neglect.

As far as how to best address diaper need, Randles lets the mothers speak for themselves: “Mothers emphasized the importance of diaper support that was equitable, easily accessible, and did not leave parents feeling stigmatized or shame.” Mothers suggested changing policies for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to allow for the purchase of diapers, increasing food or cash aid benefit levels to account for the cost of diapers, and increasing public support for diaper banks.

Read the full article in RSF.
Read the Institute for Research on Poverty’s Fast Focus Policy Brief based on Randles’ paper.

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