Why diapers are a critical first step for economic justice

In Alameda County, nearly one in three families does not have enough money to make ends meet. Parents are forced to make impossible choices every day — whether it is paying rent or keeping babies in diapers.

As a form of financial support, diapers can promote conditions tied directly to kindergarten readiness, including family economic well-being, child health and reduced caregiver stress. Public investment is needed to bring economic justice and stability to children and communities harmed by poverty. Diapers are a start.

Diapers are an essential health, education and economic product. Families must supply their children's diapers to attend most preschool and child care programs. When families cannot afford diapers, children cannot participate in early learning programs, and caregivers are often unable to work.

From there, it's a domino effect for children. First 5's studies of kindergarten readiness in Alameda County show that the impacts of structural inequities — a family's socioeconomics, housing stability and parent/caregiver stress — are tied to a child's kindergarten readiness. Success in kindergarten is tied to third grade academic outcomes, a predictor of high school graduation, which predicts lifelong educational and career success and well-being.

Despite the key role that diapers play in a child's health and wellness, access to education and a family's economic stability, public safety-net programs such as SNAP (CalFresh in California) and WIC do not provide any dedicated funding for diapers.

In Alameda County, a family with two adults, a preschooler and an infant needs approximately $138,000 annually to cover basic expenses. A family of four covered by Medi-Cal, California's public health insurance plan, makes $38,295 or less. At $2,000 per year for two children, the cost of diapers is a significant portion of family income.

While diaper need has been overlooked, it is also understudied. First 5 Alameda County invested in an evaluation of Help A Mother Out's diaper program in the Bay Area. The final report shows that families are healthier and happier after receiving diapers:

• 97% say their family feels less stressed.

• 96% say their child is healthier.

• 93% have more money in the budget for food.

• 91% say it's easier to pay their bills.

Between 2018 and 2021, the cost of basic expenses rose by 19%, and inflation continues to rise. Housing and child care now account for more than half (53%) of a family's monthly budget. As families struggle to survive, we've seen the indisputable benefit of providing economic support and then the resulting damage when it is removed.

The expiration of the federal child tax credit pushed 3.4 million children back into poverty and forced families into even bleaker circumstances. These pressures disproportionately harm children in families with low incomes and children of color.

For public systems, investing in basic needs brings a multifold return on investment. Community organizations funded through First 5's Neighborhoods Ready for School initiative leveraged bulk purchasing and diaper distribution to serve as crucial hubs for supplies and connections to resources. By ensuring families can make ends meet, we improve child, family and community outcomes.

At First 5 Alameda County, we urge California's Legislature and governor to continue to invest now, and in future budgets, in economic supports for children and families. We applaud the Legislature's proposal for $30 million in the fiscal year 22-23 state budget for diaper and wipe distribution. We also call on Congress to reestablish and make permanent the child tax credit.

Data and research prove that differences in kindergarten readiness are attributable to structural inequities with roots in racist and classist policies. We must pave a more equitable path forward so that no parent has to make an impossible choice, and all children can thrive.