1 in 3 American Families Struggle to Buy Their Babies Diapers, but the White House Is Changing That

Eat, sleep, and poop. That's all newborn babies really do, but even that can put a financial strain on families. The average low-income family spends $936 for diapers per child each year, often forcing them to make a choice between food and diapers. Even more frustrating is the fact that higher-income families tend to spend less — less than half that amount. By shopping at bulk clubs or online — places that are inaccessible to lower-income families — these families are able to cut their annual diaper output (and we're not talking about what's inside the nappies).

But the White House is looking to change all of that. After reaching out to ecommerce company Jet.com, the White House today announced a wide-ranging public-private partnership between the government, Jet, Cuties diapers (manufactured by First Quality), and nonprofits across the country to manufacture and distribute diapers to nonprofits for 25 percent less than the lowest purchase price.

How can they do that? Well, First Quality has volunteered to design new packaging with less colored printing and more efficient packing to cut its costs. And Jet will be using its nationwide warehouses and distribution channels to ensure that diapers can be delivered to the nonprofits within two days, for free, alleviating storage issues at the charities' facilities. This will give nonprofits the opportunity to offer diapers for free, or for significantly reduced prices, to low-income families who struggle to afford them.

Want to learn more? Join us for an exclusive chat with the White House on our Facebook page on Monday, March 14, at 1 p.m. EST. We'll be conducting a Q&A with several White House staffers who happen to be parents too. We promise it will be an informative session!