Arizona nonprofit works to ensure parents have enough diapers for their kids

Community Cares: Arizona nonprofit works to ensure parents have enough diapers for their kids

A Valley company is teaming up with an Arizona nonprofit to help ensure that parents have enough diapers to send their kids to daycare. FOX 10's Anita Roman reports.

PHOENIX - One in three American families struggle to afford enough diapers to keep their children clean and dry - this is referred to as "diaper need."

As people return to work after the pandemic, that need is greater than ever.

"We are the only diaper bank for the entire county, and we give hundreds of thousands of diapers per year to these nonprofits who are begging us for diapers because they know how critical it is for so many Arizona families," said Gabi Young, president for the Diaper Bank of Central Arizona.

The diaper bank works with 26 reputable nonprofits to make sure parents have enough diapers to send their kids to daycare.

"And the unfortunate part of not having enough diapers - there are the negative physical ramifications, you think diaper rashes that lead to just really tragic and sad skin infections, possibly urinary tract infections," said Young. "But on the other side of that, if a parent or caretaker does not have diapers to drop their child off at daycare, they may be turned away for the day from that daycare center."

60% of the families who experience diaper needs say they have missed work in the past month, up to four days in a row, because they did not have enough diapers.

Phoenix-based Accounting and Finance Professionals is hoping to change that statistic by partnering with the Diaper Bank of Central Arizona to help local families get the diapers they need for their children with a $2,500 donation to start.

"We have been participating by actually donating money as well as the diapers that we receive," said Deanne Desautels, CEO for Accounting and Finance Professionals. "The money actually buys twice as many diapers as diapers that are donated, so we're able to buy a pallet of diapers for about $2,000, which is huge because it ends up being 17 cents a diaper rather than…35 cents a diaper."

"We collect probably around 150,000 diapers per year, however we are also able to purchase at vast discounts with with all of the financial donations that we're receiving," Young said.

If any company, large or small, wants to host a diaper bank drive, they can contact Accounting and Finance Professionals at 602-306-4473 or email Deanne Desautels at deanne@afprofessionals.com.

More on the Diaper Bank of Central Arizona: http://www.diaperbankaz.org/