118 HRES 713 IH: Recognizing the importance of diapers to infant health and family well-being, and expressing support for the designation of the week of September 18–24, 2023, as “National Diaper Need Awareness Week”. U.S. House of Representatives 2023-09-21 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV118th CONGRESS1st SessionH. RES. 713IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESSeptember 21, 2023Ms. DeLauro (for herself and Ms. Lee of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and AccountabilityRESOLUTIONRecognizing the importance of diapers to infant health and family well-being, and expressing support for the designation of the week of September 18–24, 2023, as National Diaper Need Awareness Week.

Whereas diapers are a material basic need essential to keeping babies and toddlers clean, dry, and healthy; Whereas national surveys and research studies report that diaper need, the condition of not having a sufficient supply of clean diapers, affects nearly 1 in 2 families with young children throughout the United States; Whereas infants and toddlers go through 6 to 12 diapers each day during the 2 to 3 years that they wear diapers, and a sufficient supply of diapers can cost families $80 to $100 a month or more, consuming 14 percent of a low-wage family’s post-tax income; Whereas a daily or weekly supply of disposable diapers is generally an eligibility requirement for babies and toddlers to participate in childcare programs and quality early education programs that enable children to thrive and parents to work; Whereas parents struggling with diaper need report missing an average of 5.1 days of work each month because they cannot utilize childcare programs, which means lost income and the creation of a vicious cycle that makes purchasing diapers even more difficult; Whereas diaper need presents a preventable public health issue; Whereas without enough diapers, babies and toddlers risk infections and health problems that may require medical attention and intervention; Whereas the costs associated with seeking medical care can further burden or even break a family’s already stretched budget, thereby destabilizing the family’s economic prospects and well-being; Whereas diaper banks work in local communities to provide a stable and sustainable supply of free diapers to families that are struggling with diaper need; Whereas there are more than 300 basic needs bank members of the National Diaper Bank Network located in all 50 States, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico; Whereas most diaper banks work with a wide variety of local service organizations and agencies to connect with families and provide the necessary support in an efficient and cost-effective manner; and Whereas the vast majority of diaper banks are completely philanthropically funded, sustained by the generosity of their communities and local businesses: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the designation of National Diaper Need Awareness Week; (2)acknowledges the tremendous work of diaper bank leaders, both staff and volunteers, across the country that support hundreds of thousands of children and their parents in accessing the basic necessities they need to survive and thrive; and (3)encourages the citizens of the United States to donate generously to diaper banks and diaper drives, and support those organizations that collect and distribute diapers to families struggling with diaper need, so that all of America’s children and families can thrive and reach their full potential.