History
It comes as a surprise to many people that diapers are not covered by food stamps, WIC, or any other government assistance program. Yet diapers are a basic necessity for families with young children. Children without adequate diapers are at greater risk for a number of medical problems and for domestic abuse. Also, parents wishing to work must provide a full supply of diapers to place a child in child care.
Joanne Goldblum established The New Haven Diaper Bank in June of 2004 in response to the lack of public assistance for purchasing diapers for poor and low-income families. Recognizing that an inadequate supply of diapers puts families with young children at an increased risk for health and parenting complications, The New Haven Diaper Bank (NHDB) began distributing diapers to poor and low-income families in New Haven through approved social service agencies. Supported by hundreds of individuals and the many agencies it served, the New Haven Diaper Bank gained governmental support during the Connecticut Legislative Sess
ion of 2007, when the Connecticut State budget included $150,000 to be spent providing diapers to families who could not otherwise afford them. In January 2008, the New Haven Diaper Bank became The Diaper Bank as a direct result of expanding its service area into the cities of Hartford and Bridgeport.
From the beginning, Joanne recognized that independent diaper banks would not satisfy this need, and that the need would only be addressed when people were aware of the issue and governmental policies were changed to recognize that “basic human needs” include diapers and that these needs are not being met for children living in poverty.
Joanne solicited the help of the Arthur Liman Public Interest Program at Yale Law School and the law firm Wiggin and Dana to develop a strategy for raising public awareness and advocating for policy reform. Together, they hosted the first symposium on Diaper Rights on April 30, 2010. Participants included state and federal government officials, members of several professions (doctors, lawyers, social workers, public health), representatives of organizations dedicated to issues of concern to women, children, families, and labor, journalists, public relations specialists, industry representatives, and academics. The group addressed the shaping of a legislative initiative to ensure that for individuals—ranging from infants to the elderly—who needed diapers but cannot afford them, could someday receive public financing or material support to address that need
