Castillo is the CEO of the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. He lives in San Diego County.
The San Diego Food Bank’s Diaper Bank Program, which provides millions of diapers to low-income families in the community each year, may cease to exist in only a few short months.
Established in 2017, the Diaper Bank has grown significantly to meet increasing needs throughout San Diego County, with more than 34.5 million diapers distributed since its inception. Last year, the Food Bank set a distribution record, providing 9.1 million diapers to low-income families with infants and toddlers.
In 2021, San Diego County received $3.75 million in funding from the state to continue operating the Food Bank’s Diaper Bank Program. These critical funds were spread out over three years, providing $1.25 million per year to sustain our ongoing operations. These funds, part of a statewide budget allocation of $24 million, gave similar resources to several diaper banks throughout our state. Our Diaper Bank Program relies heavily on these funds, which are quickly running out as the three-year funding deadline approaches. If the program does not receive additional funds from the state, the entire statewide program could disappear after June 30.
An ample supply of clean diapers is a necessity for families with young children. But diapers are hugely expensive, costing families up to $100 a month or more per child. For low-income families already struggling to make ends meet, this expense can be overwhelming, forcing them to make difficult choices between purchasing diapers or funding other necessities such as rent, gas and utilities. In San Diego County, nearly half of families face challenges in affording an adequate supply of diapers.
Without an adequate supply of diapers, parents may be unable to leave their children in daycare facilities or attend work or school themselves, hindering their ability to secure and maintain employment. In fact, according to the National Diaper Bank Network, three in five parents miss work or school because they can’t afford the diapers required to leave their child in child care. Helping families with diaper insecurity is an easy way to support working parents and keep them in the workforce.
However, the consequences of diaper need extend far beyond just financial strain. Diaper insecurity has a domino effect, first impacting the health of the child in need, then their family, and ultimately, the stability and vitality of our communities at large. A lack of clean diapers can have significant impacts on a child’s health and well-being, as prolonged exposure to wet or soiled diapers increases the risks of diaper rash and urinary tract infections, leading to unnecessary pain and discomfort for infants and toddlers. When families can’t afford diapers, they may be forced to leave their child in a soiled diaper to stretch out their supply — something no parent wants to do.
The Diaper Bank Program at the San Diego Food Bank has been working diligently to address these needs in our community and provide hope to families.
Tens of thousands of local families positively benefit from the existence of the Diaper Bank Program each month, and if funding is not renewed this June, these families will have nowhere to turn for these basic necessities. In San Diego County, no family should have to choose between putting a diaper on their baby or paying for life’s basic necessities.
As the expiration of the Diaper Bank Program’s primary funding approaches, we urge Gov. Gavin Newsom and the members of the Legislature to renew funding for diaper bank programs statewide. While we understand the budget shortfall forces tough decisions to be made, it should be an easy decision to support the health of children and the economic vitality of California’s families who simply cannot afford to lose this critical resource.
