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As the cost of basic needs rises and unemployment worsens, many more families are facing the difficult choice between providing food and housing or diapers for their babies. In families that are struggling to make ends meet, babies may spend an entire day in a single diaper. An adequate monthly supply of diapers costs $100 a month or more. Infants require up to 12 diapers a day and toddlers up to 8 per day. Lower income families who rely on food stamps or WIC federal funding are not able to buy diapers through these programs. Working families, barely making ends meet, who rely on daycare are left with difficult choices as an adequate daily supply of diapers is a requirement of day care providers. United Way of Western Connecticut is working with several organizations to distribute diapers. In Stamford, the Diaper Co-op of the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk will receive all diapers. In the greater Danbury area three organizations are recipients: Community Action Committee of Danbury, Birthright and Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center. The Dept of Social Services and Baby Bundles will receive all diapers donated in the greater New Milford region. Without clean diapers, babies are too uncomfortable, and sometimes too unhealthy, to play and learn. Raising awareness of this critical issue are Co-Chairs and Healthy Baby Advocates Janice Gruendel, Co-chair Early Childhood Education Cabinet, and Irene Cornish, Superintendent of Schools in Stratford. “As an educator I understand all too well the importance of a healthy start for each and every child,” said Healthy Baby Advocate, Irene Cornish. “The availability of clean, disposable diapers for young children is about more than just diapers, it is about ensuring that every child is healthy, has the opportunity to succeed, and comes to school prepared to learn and thrive,“ she continued. The need for assistance is great and continues to grow in this struggling economy. For example, The Diaper Bank distributes 200,000 diapers every 30 days to 62 agencies in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport serving 4,000 children each month. “In all of our work in government, education, business and the advocacy community, a central focus has been on finding ways that we can contribute to the healthy, sound development of young children. We now know so very much about the importance of the first three years in children's early brain and social development, and how it is tied to the early relationships they share with parents and caregivers,” stated Healthy Baby Advocate, Janice Gruendel. “The 2009 United Way Health Baby Diaper Drive is one concrete and effective way to help ensure that all babies in our own communities grow and thrive,” she continued. Many businesses are partnering with United Way by holding Diaper Drives at their workplaces, and providing their employees a way to support the issue by donating diapers, volunteering and making a difference. If you work at a company that may be interested in sponsoring a drive, United Way provides everything you need to run a successful event. To learn more about the Healthy Baby Diaper Drive or to search for additional diaper drop-off sites please visit www.uwwesternct.org. If you are interested in volunteering to deliver the diapers to recipient organizations in the Danbury and New Milford area, contact Alecia Andrews at aandrews@uwwesternct.org. In Stamford, contact Jennifer Hallissey at jhallissey@uwwesternct.org. © Copyright by ConnecticutPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of ConnecticutPlus.com, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. CURRENT HEADLINES:
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