DIAPER BANK OF THE OZARKS
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Mission Statement
Mission Statement: Diaper Bank of the Ozarks keeps babies healthy and happy by providing access to diapers, basic needs, and educational resources to families in need in our community during pregnancy and beyond while increasing diaper need awareness.
About This Cause
WHY DO WE HAVE A DIAPER BANK? Nearly 1 in 3 families with young children struggle to afford diapers for their babies. In some cases, moms and dads stretch the time between diaper changes to stretch their limited resources. This can lead to serious health problems for both babies and parents. Babies may be hospitalized with problems like urinary tract or staph infections. Imagine the stress of not being able to afford the basics that your baby needs – not a small matter for struggling parents and caregivers. When families cannot afford a healthy number of diapers for their babies, they are faced with a choice between buying diapers and paying for food, medications, or utilities. This is a choice that no family should have to make. In the worst case, these kinds of stressors can contribute to parental depression, anxiety, and even to the incidence of abuse and neglect of young children. Government programs, such as SNAP or WIC, do not supply diapers because they are considered a clothing item. The Diaper Bank of the Ozarks currently distributes an average of 95,000 diapers monthly, and there are still many more agencies needing our support. With data collected through surveys completed by families receiving diapers and from information provided to us by our 104 partner agencies, the DBO recognizes that the issues facing these families are far greater than simply needing diapers. According to an article published in the Springfield News-Leader, the statistics show that 25.6% of the population of Springfield live below the poverty level, more than 17 percent of Springfield families are living in poverty, and their per capita income is under $21,000. Diaper Need is an issue of poverty among families of young children. Often parents are working full time for minimum wage, and unable to care for themselves medically due to lack of adequate health insurance. Examples of diaper need include a disabled mother of three, with a very limited support system or families struggling to put food on their tables, thinking they have nowhere to turn. Over 18% of the population in Greene County, MO lives below the poverty line, which is higher than the national average of 14.7%. The largest group living in poverty is Female 18-24, followed by Male 18-24 and then Female 25-34. In addition, a study conducted by the National Diaper Bank Network showed mothers with mental health needs were statistically significantly more likely to experience Diaper Need. This indicates that there is a great number of young families in need of resources they may not be aware of and utilizing. Statistics: 1 in 3 families with young children experience “diaper need”. About 48% of families report a delay in changing diapers. About 32% report “reusing a diaper." This was reported in an article called “In Short Supply,” a study commissioned by Feeding America in 2013. Facts: Families are struggling to provide enough food, pay the rent, cover medical costs and so much more. These struggles leave diapers so far out of reach that they have become a luxury rather than a necessity. Government programs do not cover the cost of diapers; they are a clothing item and not food. The average monthly cost to adequately diaper a baby is $80. A cranky baby, suffering with diaper rash, and in a wet and soiled diaper cries more and sleeps less. Parents feel inadequate in their ability to provide the basic needs for their child. Their depression and stress levels increase. In this already stressed family situation the risk for child abuse and neglect increases. Without diapers the programs of the Diaper Bank of the Ozarks (DBO) cannot operate. A diaper is a basic need for babies; a basic need to be provided by moms, parents, caregivers raising their child or children. Due to low overhead, donated warehouse and office space and a volunteer driven workforce, the Diaper Bank has grown very rapidly. By the middle of 2016 we distributed one million diapers. By the end of 2017 we distributed 2 million diapers. In 2019, one million diapers! Poverty in Springfield and the rural counties of the Ozarks ranks well above the National and State averages. In the rural counties of Dade and Dallas it includes over 30% of the population under 18 years old. WHAT WE DO: Current programs of the DBO involve the distribution of diapers: REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION SERVICES: The Diaper Bank of the Ozarks partners with multiple agencies serving children in southern Missouri, southeastern tip of Kansas and northeastern tip of Oklahoma, and the northwestern corner of Arkansas. These are all included in the official map of the Ozarks. These partner agencies include Crosslines, Harmony House, Lifehouse Crisis Maternity Home, Doula Foundation, Pregnancy Care Center and Republic Pregnancy Resource Center, the Dream Center, Least of These in Christian County, and many more. DIAPERS FOR DAYCARE PROGRAM: Daycare providers require an adequate supply of diapers each day to allow a child to attend their childcare facility. For many families, this is not an easy task. The Diaper Bank of the Ozarks stands beside the parents by providing diapers to the Daycare so that babies may remain in their programs. If childcare is lost by the parent, they will no longer be able to work or attend job training and they suffer further from the loss of income. We plan to distribute between 50-80,000 disposable diapers through this program each year. CLOTH DIAPER LOAN PROGRAM: We advocate the use of cloth diapering, as it can save potentially $2500 for a family per baby for the duration of pottie training. Cloth diapers are better for the baby's skin, and the environment. We provide cloth diaper kits directly to eligible families who can afford laundry facilitation. OUTCOMES AND IMPACT: Each program has a method for evaluation to ensure that the program is reaching the necessary goals and having positive outcomes. Surveys have been developed to not only collect data for those we serve, where we serve, how many we serve, but also to identify specific outcomes dependent on the program. These include data surrounding the frequency of diaper rashes, the sleep patterns of babies, maternal depression, stress and bonding.