INDIANA — The Indiana Diaper Bank, based in central Indiana, will helm a 2-year, $4 million project, which will distribute 200 diapers every other month to qualifying families. The small nonprofit had quadrupled the number of diapers it distributed in the last year — from 30,000 in May 2022 to 171,000 in May of 2023, suggesting there is a greater need for diapers. Currently, diapers cost about $100 a month per child, and about half of the families in Indiana struggle to afford them. No federal or state programs help families cover the cost of diapers.
Products would be dispensed in the parking lots of various Women, Infant and Children (WIC) offices, providing a direct connection to hundreds of Indiana residents whose gross monthly income is at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level ($6,250 for a family of four).
The state receives federal funding for TANF ( Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) to help combat poverty. Every state has spending priorities, and Indiana routinely holds back monies for these programs — approximately $54.4 million was set back in the budget earlier this year. The state said that these leftover dollars would provide the $4 million in funding to the Indiana Diaper Bank.
This year, lawmakers passed the first TANF increase since 1988, and the expanded benefits would also be covered by previously unspent funds.
For more information about getting help from the Indiana Diaper Bank, visit indianadiaperbank.org. They are also in need of cash donations to continue funding their efforts.