Kimberly-Clark steps in as diaper insecurity exposes health system gaps

Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies is doubling down on its commitment to improve access to diapers across the US and Puerto Rico, in partnership with the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN). According to the NDBN, diaper insecurity affects nearly one in two US families with young children. 

The Huggies and NDBN joint donation initiative arrives as mounting evidence shows that a lack of access to essential hygiene products, specifically diapers, carries a heavy emotional burden for parents. However, diaper insecurity is not only a social issue but a costly one.

According to the NDBN, diaper insecurity costs the US US$4.5 billion annually in diaper rash treatment and lost wages. The issue is increasingly framed as a measurable public health and economic challenge — one that the personal care industry can directly mitigate by improving access.

“By distributing diapers to families, diaper banks save US$5 million in health care costs annually by preventing rashes. Such cost savings could grow many times over with concerted investment in diaper banks and subsequent expansion of services,” Troy Moore, chief of external affairs at NDBN, tells Personal Care Insights.

Moore cites data from the Diaper Insecurity Dashboard, a collaboration between NDBN and the Urban Institute. According to the dashboard, eight million US children under three live in households that cannot afford an adequate diaper supply.

A lack of diapers impacts babies’ and toddlers’ health, exposing a structural barrier in the child care system. As Moore points out, “[child health care] providers typically will not accept children unless the family provides diapers for the time spent in care.” Parents may then be forced to stay home to care for their children, creating a cycle of repeated income losses for families already under financial strain.

When infrastructure limits access

To mark NDBN’s 15th anniversary, Kimberly-Clark, under its baby care brand Huggies, has announced it will donate 15 million diapers in 15 days. The move is part of a broader commitment to supply 75 million diapers to the network over three years.

Diaper banks play a central role in addressing the economic and social pressures caused by diaper insecurity, as they provide reliable access to the essential products. However, Moore explains that while the interventions are available, access remains limited.

Diaper insecurity places sustained pressure on families by affecting health, income, and emotional well-being.“An overwhelming percentage of families experiencing diaper insecurity are not connected to community-based diaper banks,” he says.

The initiative aims to tackle this access barrier by focusing on sending diaper donations to smaller diaper banks that often face logistical barriers.

“Diaper insecurity exists in all communities in the US. Oftentimes, smaller diaper banks do not have access to loading docks, forklifts, and warehouse space required to accept a full truckload of donated diapers (200,000 - 225,000 diapers on average),” Moore explains. 

NDBN and Huggies have therefore committed to delivering 50,000 to 100,000 donated diapers via smaller trucks with liftgates.

The smaller-scale delivery allows the initiative’s partners to reach small- to mid-sized programs that serve few children and families.

Mental toll

Beyond its economic impact, diaper insecurity places a heavy emotional and mental burden on parents. According to the NDBN Diaper Check 2024, 79% of mothers experiencing diaper insecurity feel stressed or anxious when they cannot afford enough diapers for their children, and 75% report feeling helpless in the same scenario. 

“Diaper need is lonely,” Moore says, explaining that the majority of mothers with diaper insecurity feel that other parents judge them because they struggle to afford diapers for their children.

However, he adds that a further 81% of mothers experiencing diaper insecurity feel that more families in the US are struggling to afford diapers than people realize.

Parents are often forced to stay home and forgo paid work when they cannot supply diapers required for child care.“Seventy-one percent of mothers with diaper insecurity, compared to 31% of mothers who do not struggle to afford diapers, worry about what the future holds for their family six months from now,” Moore tells us.

Cheaper to prevent

According to the NBDN’s research, published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, diaper banks generate societal savings that exceed the actual costs of distributing diapers.

“In health care savings alone, diaper banks produced US$2 in savings for every US$1 spent on providing diapers,” Kelley E.C. Massengale, director of Research and Statistics for NDBN and the study’s lead author, says. 

The study estimates that each case of diaper insecurity costs society US$659.10 annually, due to health care expenses and missed work. In contrast, a diaper bank can provide a monthly supply of diapers to a child for US$211.56 annually — highlighting the cost-effectiveness of preventive product access.

“The difference [between societal costs and diaper bank care] presents an opportunity for policymakers to achieve tremendous savings,” Massengale says.

Moore similarly confirms that while diaper banks play a central role in ending diaper insecurity, more help is needed. 

“NDBN believes that the philanthropic and business community alone cannot solve this public health issue. This is why NDBN advocates for state and federal policies that help all babies and families get the material, basic necessities like diapers that they require to thrive.”