Introduction
Diapers are essential to the health and well-being of babies, toddlers, and their families. They are also expensive, and many families face challenges buying enough of them. When families do not have enough diapers, it can affect child and caregiver health and the family’s economic security.
To help address diaper need and increase economic security, the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Office of Community Services (OCS), in partnership with the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, launched the Diaper Distribution Pilot in September 2022. The Diaper Distribution Pilot provides grants, administered by OCS, to existing diaper distribution programs through community partners. In addition to providing diapers and diapering supplies, such as ointment and wipes, these programs offer to connect families to wraparound services, such as job training, educational support, Head Start, and Early Head Start.
ACF separately contracted the Diaper Distribution Pilot evaluation. Westat and its partners, Public Profit and Dr. Jennifer Randles (the evaluation team), are conducting an evaluation to document how grant recipients serve families, examine the experiences and outcomes for families that receive Diaper Distribution Pilot services, and develop a rigorous design for a future impact study. This brief is the first in a series of evaluation products that will document the Diaper Distribution Pilot.
Purpose
This brief includes information on the communities the grant recipients serve, the design and structure of their programs, their processes for purchasing and distributing diapers, and the other supports they offer families. It uses information from the grant recipients’ applications for funding and OCS-developed program spotlights.
Key Findings and Highlights
The evaluation team reviewed all available information on grant recipients and their diaper distribution programs and identified key highlights and takeaways:
- Grant recipients are partnering with other organizations, such as Community Action Agencies (CAA), diaper banks, food banks, community organizations, and local government programs.
- Grant recipients are enrolling families with low incomes in need of diapers and diapering supplies that are already receiving other services from their programs.
- Grant recipients obtain diapers and diapering supplies by purchasing directly from manufacturers and receiving donations from diaper drives.
- Grant recipients distribute diapers to families through various methods, such as pickup locations, home visitations, and Early Head Start and Head Start programs.
- In addition to providing diapers, grant recipients also connect families with wraparound services, depending on their needs.
- Wraparound services include Head Start and Early Head Start, employment programs, home weatherization and food assistance, and other support services.
- Through Diaper Distribution Pilot funding, grant recipients have been able to expand their diaper distribution efforts to new areas and serve more families that need diapers.
- The Diaper Distribution Pilot is helping community organizations build new relationships or strengthen existing relationships with diaper banks.
Methods
OCS provided the evaluation team with the grant applications from all 21 Diaper Distribution Pilot grant recipients and the OCS grant recipient spotlight fact sheets published on the OCS website. The evaluation team reviewed the materials and extracted information on grant service areas, populations, expected service numbers, program structure, partnering organizations, diaper procurement processes, diaper distribution strategies, connections to other services and supports, and how the Diaper Distribution Pilot has expanded the service capacity of grant recipients.
Citation
Al-Abdulmunem, M., Evans, M. Giordano, S. & Hyra, A. (2023). Diapers for families in need: An overview of federally funded approaches to diaper distribution. OPRE Report 2024-007, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.