- Disposable diapers cost 20 to 30 cents per diaper.1
- An infant uses up to 12 diapers per day; a toddler up to 8 per day. That can add up to over $100/month. And if you can’t shop at discount stores like Target or
Costco and instead have to rely on corner stores or drugstores, you’ll
often end up paying much more per diaper.2
- In Chicago, the child poverty rate is 33 percent, and a striking 59
percent of Chicago’s children live in families that are low income,
defined as twice the official poverty level, or $34,340 a year for a
family of three in 2007.3
- Programs such as Link (food stamps) or WIC (Women, Infants, Children) do not cover the cost of diapers.2
- Most daycare centers do not accept cloth diapers. Parents must provide disposable diapers.2
- If a family can’t afford diapers (e.g., they need that money for
shelter, food, transportation), a baby will spend extended periods of
time at a time in the same soiled diaper. This can increase the risk of skin diseases and hepatitis.4
- Washing and reusing disposable diapers is unhealthy and unsanitary.2
- Unhappy babies are crying babies. Crying babies are more likely to be abused by an already stressed-out caregiver.2
- If you cannot afford diapers, you cannot take your child to
free/subsidized childcare. Therefore, you cannot make your commitments
such as work, school, or job training.2
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