Most day care centers, including free and subsidized facilities, will not admit a child who arrives without a sufficient supply of diapers. Parents who cannot leave their children with a day care provider cannot attend work or school. Because federal law also requires parents receiving assistance to work or attend training, parents on assistance without access to day care are at risk of losing federal support. The child suffers, the parents suffer, and the community suffers, all for the want of a diaper.
This fact is recognized by the Federal Government through its Early Head Start program. Early Head Start Program Instructions provided that “All center-based programs, consistent with the requirements of 45 CFR § 1304.53(b), are expected to provide whatever diapers are needed by the child during the part of the day that the child is at the Early Head Start/Head Start center. Parents may not be required to provide diapers for their enrolled child nor may parents be charged a fee for the costs incurred by the program in providing diapers to children that need them.”
See Administration for Children and Families Program Instruction, ACF-PI-HS-09-03, “ Provision of Diapers”, March 10, 2009.
