K.I.D.S. and the National Diaper Bank Network to Donate 20 Million Huggies Brand Diapers to Families in Need

New York, NY – February 21, 2012 - Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.), the internationally renowned children’s charity, and the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) today announced that they have partnered to distribute 20 million Huggies brand diapers to families in need throughout the U.S. in 2012.

“Diaper need is a silent crisis in the United States. Diapers are a basic need for children, as essential to their health and well-being as food and shelter, yet one in three families in America struggle to provide diapers for their families. We are thrilled to be working with K.I.D.S. and our Founding Sponsor the Huggies brand to get diapers to those who need them,” said Joanne Goldblum, the Executive Director of NDBN.

To address today’s dire need for diapers, every three months, K.I.D.S. and NDBN will distribute five million diapers, donated by Huggies Every Little Bottom, to more than 90 diaper banks, food banks and other such agencies for families in need across the United States. Huggies Every Little Bottom was launched in 2010 with the sole purpose to help address the issue of diaper need in North America. Since its inception, the program has donated more than 60MM diapers toward this cause.

“Diapers are a basic necessity for babies and toddlers, but the ability to ensure a sufficient supply is out of reach for many in this country, thus affecting their health and well-being,” said Dr. Janice Weinman, President of K.I.D.S. “We are so grateful to be partnering with the National Diaper Bank Network to help combat this terrible situation. There is nothing more relevant to the mission of K.I.D.S. than to provide the basic essentials to those in need, to ensure a physically and emotionally healthy development.”

K.I.D.S. and NDBN to Hold Distribution Event for Needy Teen Mothers in D.C. Area

The partnership will launch with a distribution event today to benefit needy teen mothers in the Washington D.C. area. The event will take place at 10:00 am at Covenant House, located at 2001 Mississippi Ave. SE. Attendees of the event include: Dr. Janice Weinman, President of K.I.D.S.; Joanne Goldblum, Executive Director of the National Diaper Network; Corinne Cannon, Founder of the DC Diaper Bank; and Daniel Brannen, Executive Director, Covenant House Washington.

According to the most recent census, 22 percent of American children live at or below the poverty line. In many cases, their families cannot provide the diapers they need because diapers, which can cost as much as $100 a month, cannot be bought with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as “food stamps”) or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Most childcare programs require parents to provide disposable diapers for their children’s use, so a lack of diapers can keep children out of childcare, forcing their parents to stay home from work. Some parents try to stretch their diaper supply by leaving the children in diapers longer between changes or by reusing disposable diapers, but these measures can affect the health and emotional well-being of children and their families. Cloth diapers are not a solution because many families are without out easy access to laundry facilities.