By KATY SAVAGE
[email protected]
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Jennifer Nichols spent about $80 a month on diapers and wipes when her daughter was a baby.
She lived off state assistance and the $500 she received each month was spread across laundry, rent, baby formula and all her other living expenses, she said.
“It’s tough,” said Nichols, 25, a single parent.
There is no state or federal assistance that helps parents pay for diapers or wipes and the need for them is significant, reports say.
Diapers cost around $936 per year, according to a 2013 study published in Pediatrics.
About 30 percent of mothers said they lacked a sufficient supply of diapers, according to that study. Some mothers reported re-using dirty diapers. Others started potty training their children too early, leaving mental health issues.
Nichols’ daughter is now 5. She is part of Time For A Change, a group that’s collecting diapers for those in need.
The organization collected diapers and wipes outside of Dari Joy in Bellows Falls Wednesday afternoon and filled the back of a donated Westminster Auto pick-up truck. Dari Joy provided free ice cream cones.
Time For A Change Diaper Bank is a collaboration of a number of community organizations, including Windham County Youth Services, Parks Place, Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, Building Bright Futures, Just Us Moms Program, and others.
Time For A Change has collected 29,500 diapers since beginning in 2016.The organization has given about 11,300 diapers since September 2017 to the Greater Falls area.
“There’s a pretty huge need,” said Ellen Taetzsch, the area coordinator of Building Bright Futures. “Within the greater Bellows Falls community people kept hearing about families not being able to afford enough diapers for their children,” Taetzsch continued in a written report.
Time For A Change began with a $3,000 grant from the United Way of Windham County and has continued with community support.
Diapers can be picked up at Parks Place on School Street in Rockingham. Wipes and diapers of all sizes are available.
Nichols has been a Parks Place volunteer for the past six months. She’s job searching and still receiving public assistance, she said. Her daughter no longer needs diapers, but she said it’s difficult to pay for living expenses and work around her child’s schedule.
“It’s hard being a single parent … not having a reliable sitter,” she said.
Diapers are also available at hospitals and other community organizations.
For more information, call Parks Place at (802) 463-9927.
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