New Study Identifies Diaper Insecurity as Leading Indicator of Economic Instability Among U.S. Families

Intersects with hunger, housing insecurity, credit card debt; child care and employment disruptions

NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly half of U.S. families with young children struggle to afford enough diapers to keep their babies clean and healthy, according to The NDBN Diaper Check 2026: Diaper Insecurity among U.S. Children and Families. The new study also identifies diaper insecurity as a leading indicator of economic instability among U.S. families, associated with family hunger, housing insecurity, debt, and struggles with child care and employment, among other hardships.

The NDBN Diaper Check 2026 is the third nationally representative study of diaper insecurity by the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN). In each year of the study, nearly half of surveyed families reported issues related to diaper affordability. The 2026 study included more than 1,000 individuals and found that 40% of families with young children report that they struggle with diaper insecurity, with Black (63%) and Hispanic (49%) households reporting higher rates of diaper insecurity, also known as diaper need. NDBN retained SSRS, a leading social science research firm, to field the survey.

The study finds that diaper insecurity harms adults' ability to work, as most child care providers require families to provide diapers. The odds of a household with diaper insecurity missing work because they did not have the diapers needed for child care were 21 times greater than the odds of a household without diaper insecurity missing work for the same reason. Diaper-insecure households where adults missed work as a result lost an average of 5.3 paid days on the job in the past 30 days. For a full-time worker paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25, that would be $307.40 in lost income. In the top minimum wage market, Washington D.C., the loss would be $761.08.

"This is major – and entirely avoidable – economic harm. Any missed pay hurts a low-income household," said primary investigator Dr. Kelley E.C. Massengale, director of research and statistics for NDBN. "When adults are missing a full work week monthly, it's entirely possible that they could lose their job. Certainly, it will harm them when competing for merit-based raises or promotion. The lowest income families are being put in a no-win situation."

More than half of households with diaper insecurity (54%) reported worry over job loss, compared with 28% in households without diaper insecurity.

Diaper insecurity is associated with many other financial stressors. Nearly half of adults who reported diaper insecurity said that they skipped credit card or other bill payments (45%), while large percentages skipped meals (34%) or delayed a rent or mortgage payment (29%) to afford diapers. Two out of three diaper insecure households (64%) were unable to pay a non-medical bill in the past year.

In 78% of households reporting diaper insecurity, the family experienced a financial shock – such as job loss or an unexpected medical bill in the past year. Families that had less money in savings were more likely to report financial stress. Households with diaper insecurity were more likely to report symptoms of depression (32%) and generalized anxiety (37%).

The study is available at nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org/the-ndbn-diaper-check-2026.

"Diaper insecurity is a straightforward resource problem that diaper banks solve every day," said Joanne Samuel Goldblum, CEO and founder of NDBN. "But nonprofits alone cannot meet this need for nearly half of the young families in the U.S. We need more public sector investment in a simple fix that allows people to support their families. Equally critically, fair wages and strategies to build wealth are essential components of a social fabric that will ensure American families can thrive."

About National Diaper Bank Network 

The National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) leads a nationwide movement dedicated to strengthening the social fabric that unites communities by ensuring individuals, children, and families have the basic material necessities they require to thrive and reach their full potential. 2026 marks the nonprofit's 15th anniversary year. Launched in 2011 with the support of founding sponsor Huggies®, NDBN creates awareness, advances public policy, leads original research, and builds community to end diaper insecurity and period product insecurity in the U.S. Its active membership includes more than 300 basic needs banks serving local communities throughout the U.S. More information on NDBN is available at nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org and on Instagram (@DiaperNetwork), X (@DiaperNetwork), Facebook (facebook.com/NationalDiaperBankNetwork), and Bluesky  (@diapernetwork.bsky.social).

Media Contacts:

National Diaper Bank Network
Troy Moore, [email protected], 203.295.7987
Briana Haas, [email protected], 203.309.1364

SOURCE National Diaper Bank Network