‘One in Two Families Struggle’: Alarming Diaper Crisis Puts U.S. Babies at Risk Ahead of 2026 Awareness Week
September 14-20, 2026, is National Diaper Need Awareness Week, and it’s time to raise awareness about a problem that’s often overlooked by babies, toddlers and families in the United States: having enough clean diapers.
The awareness week was launched in 2012 as a signature campaign of the National Diaper Bank Network, which aims to raise awareness about the need to make sure every baby is clean, dry and healthy. One out of every two U.S. families is unable to afford enough diapers for their baby or toddler, according to the network.
Diaper need can impact children’s comfort and more. Limited access to clean diapers may make it more difficult for caregivers to practice good hygiene and may add financial and emotional strain to families already struggling with economic issues.
National Diaper Need Awareness Week is a week to raise awareness and inspire communities to take action to help families and children. People can organise diaper drives, volunteer with local diaper banks, donate to diaper programmes and ask elected officials to issue proclamations recognising the week.
The campaign also aims to spark public dialogue on the issue of diaper need by using the hashtags #EndDiaperNeed and #BasicsArentBasic, which remind communities that diapers are not a luxury, but a necessity for young children to thrive.
