IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 713 

Recognizing the importance of diapers to infant health and family wellbeing, and expressing support for the designation of the week of September 18–24, 2023, as ‘‘National Diaper Need Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 

Ms. DELAURO (for herself and Ms. LEE of California) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of diapers to infant health and 

family well-being, and expressing support for the designation of the week of September 18–24, 2023, as ‘‘National 

Diaper Need Awareness Week’’. 

Whereas diapers are a material basic need essential to keeping babies and toddlers clean, dry, and healthy; 

Whereas national surveys and research studies report that diaper need, the condition of not having a sufficient supply 

of clean diapers, affects nearly 1 in 2 families with young 

children throughout the United States; 

Whereas infants and toddlers go through 6 to 12 diapers 

each day during the 2 to 3 years that they wear diapers, 

and a sufficient supply of diapers can cost families $80 


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2 

•HRES 713 IH 

to $100 a month or more, consuming 14 percent of a 

low-wage family’s post-tax income; 

Whereas a daily or weekly supply of disposable diapers is 

generally an eligibility requirement for babies and toddlers to participate in childcare programs and quality 

early education programs that enable children to thrive 

and parents to work; 

Whereas parents struggling with diaper need report missing 

an average of 5.1 days of work each month because they 

cannot utilize childcare programs, which means lost income and the creation of a vicious cycle that makes purchasing diapers even more difficult; 

Whereas diaper need presents a preventable public health 

issue; 

Whereas without enough diapers, babies and toddlers risk infections and health problems that may require medical 

attention and intervention; 

Whereas the costs associated with seeking medical care can 

further burden or even break a family’s already stretched 

budget, thereby destabilizing the family’s economic prospects and well-being; 

Whereas diaper banks work in local communities to provide 

a stable and sustainable supply of free diapers to families 

that are struggling with diaper need; 

Whereas there are more than 300 basic needs bank members 

of the National Diaper Bank Network located in all 50 

States, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico; 

Whereas most diaper banks work with a wide variety of local 

service organizations and agencies to connect with families and provide the necessary support in an efficient and 

cost-effective manner; and 


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•HRES 713 IH 

Whereas the vast majority of diaper banks are completely 

philanthropically funded, sustained by the generosity of 

their communities and local businesses: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Dia3 per Need Awareness Week’’; 

4 (2) acknowledges the tremendous work of dia5 per bank leaders, both staff and volunteers, across 

6 the country that support hundreds of thousands of 

7 children and their parents in accessing the basic ne8 cessities they need to survive and thrive; and 

9 (3) encourages the citizens of the United States 

10 to donate generously to diaper banks and diaper 

11 drives, and support those organizations that collect 

12 and distribute diapers to families struggling with di13 aper need, so that all of America’s children and fam14 ilies can thrive and reach their full potential. 

Æ 


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