*It is very common for parents living in poverty to have to choose between
paying rent, buying food or buying diapers - especially as welfare
programs like food stamps and WIC do not cover the cost of diapers.
*It is also not unusual for needy children to be left in the same wet
diaper all day, leading to higher rates of rash and infection. Also,
children left in wet diapers cry more often and children who cry more
often are more likely to be subject to child abuse.
*Coin -operated laundromats are the type of laundry facilities most often
used by disadvantaged families, but they do not allow cloth diapers to be
washed in their machines for sanitary reasons.
*Licensed daycares also do not accept cloth diapers and require parents to
provide an adequate supply of disposable diapers for their children,
easily costing $1200 per child per year. This is too high a price for families
living below the poverty level.
*Without a sufficient supply of disposable diapers and access to
licensed daycare, parents living in poverty are trapped - unable to take
advantage of the educational or job opportunities that would help lift
their families out of poverty.
