CLEVELAND — As inflation continues to surge, parents of newborn babies and toddlers are really feeling the pinch.
Diaper prices are on the rise and in some communities extremely hard to come by.
Data shows that one in three families in the U.S. are reporting a diaper need.
The average price per pack is somewhere around $12 to $15 for the smallest package of non-name brand diapers.
It all comes during Diaper Need Awareness Week, as the Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland works to collect as many donations as possible for families in need.
Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland officials say there is a severe trickledown effect.
If children don’t have diapers, parents can't send their kids to daycare or pre-school.
It also opens them up to disease and infection.
Marylane Jackson’s daughter Kristen Elise is her everything, her whole world.
The Cleveland area mom and full-time nurse are expecting another baby girl in a few months.
She says the childcare costs are mounting, shelling out roughly $120 a month on diapers and baby wipes.
Jackson's already looking to the future with a master plan in place.
“I’m trying to potty train my 2-year-old so she’ll be ready, so I’ll have one out of diapers and one in by the time the new baby comes," said Jackson.
Jackson says Nakeisha Wells’ Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland changed her life and lightened some of the financial burdens for herself and her daughter.
The free diapers were critical for her child.
The non-profit continues to help local parents each day.
“The diapers have been a safety net to many families throughout Cuyahoga County," said Wells.
The Diaper Bank is nestled away in the Fairhill Partners building and gives out roughly 12,000 diapers per month to families across the area, and the need is growing.
“Our donations now are running a little low in comparison to the beginning of the year," said Wells.
Diapers can cost a family with one child more than $80 a month.
Those prices are expected to continue to rise.
Last April, diaper prices jumped nearly 9%.
During the start of the pandemic, they went up 12%.
Wells says the economic hardships are very real with the child poverty rate in Cleveland at more than 53%.
“These families, they’re sometimes having to choose between paying bills or do I buy enough diapers to diaper my child.”
Wells is encouraging everyone to donate items this week as things aren’t slowing down.
“We currently have a waiting list of organizations that are in need of our services that have filled out applications and gone through the process.”
The following local area organizations are partnering with The Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland as drop-off locations for diaper donations:
- The Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland AT 12200 Fairhill Road in the Fairhill Partners building.
- The Twinsburg Public Library.
- Cleveland Public Library (East Side Locations.)
- Buy Buy Baby – Crocker Park.
- University Settlement.
- Student Run Health Clinic at Neighborhood Family Practice.
For more information and ways to give back, click here.
