As the nation has faced the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, there’s been a crucial conversation about food insecurity. As Daily Kos has covered, we’ve seen unusually long lines at food banks and schools scrambling to get enough food into cafeterias to feed hungry children. One topic that gets less coverage, but is just as is essential, is diapers.
Even before the pandemic, surveys have shown that about one-third of families struggle to afford diapers. And if your first thought is, use cloth diapers, well, that is an excellent choice, but one that has a surprisingly expensive start-up cost. It’s also a labor-intensive option, especially if you don’t have a washer and dryer at home. And as recently reported by KHN, COVID-19 has made a complicated situation even worse for families between unemployment and supply chain issues that have led to higher prices. And the government, perhaps surprisingly, is little help.
