National Diaper Bank Network

National Diaper Bank Network

Founded: 2011
Founder: Joanne Goldblum, a social worker in New Haven, CT
Budget: ~$30 million
Network: 300+ local diaper banks in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico
Website: nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org

What it does

The National Diaper Bank Network helps families get the diapers and period supplies they can’t afford—essentials that aren’t covered by food stamps or other public aid. They support hundreds of community diaper banks with diapers, funding, and training. In 2018, they launched the Alliance for Period Supplies to meet another urgent and overlooked need. They also work on changing laws to make these products easier to afford—like removing sales tax on diapers and pushing for public programs to include them.

Why it matters

It started with one woman seeing moms reuse disposable diapers because they had no other choice. Today, it’s a national effort helping millions of families stay clean, healthy, and able to work or attend school. Without diapers, parents can’t use childcare. Without period products, students and workers may have to stay home.

The goal: a country where no one is forced to choose between clean diapers or food—where diapers and period supplies are treated as basic needs, just like groceries or medicine.

What it takes

To get there, we need more than charity. The Network is pushing for state and federal policies that treat diapers and period products as essentials—no sales tax, full coverage in public benefit programs like WIC and SNAP, and emergency supplies for schools and shelters. Meanwhile, local diaper banks need more support to meet everyday demand and reach the families who still fall through the cracks.

Bigger picture

Like food banks fight hunger, the National Diaper Bank Network fights “material hardship”—the basic things families need but can’t always afford. Their model combines grassroots care with national advocacy, building toward a future where no parent has to struggle to keep their baby clean or send their child to school with confidence.