Diaper Need Awareness Week

Proclamation
By the Governor of Alabama
WHEREAS, Diaper Need, the condition of not having a sufficient supply of clean diapers to ensure that infants and toddlers are clean, healthy and dry, can adversely affect the health and welfare of infants, toddlers and their families; and
WHEREAS, national surveys report that one in three mothers experiencing diaper need at some time while their children are less than three years of age and forty-eight percent of families delay changing a diaper to extend their supply; and
WHEREAS, the average infant or toddler requires an average of at least 50 diaper changes per week over three years; and
WHEREAS, there are no government assistance programs for the purchase or provision of diapers, and a sufficient supply of diapers can cost as much as six percent of a full-time minimum wage worker’s salary, therefore obtaining a sufficient supply of diapers can cause economic hardship to families; and
WHEREAS, a supply of diapers is generally an eligibility requirement for infants and toddlers to participate in childcare programs and quality early education programs; and
WHEREAS, the people of Alabama recognize that addressing Diaper Need can lead to economic opportunity for the state’s low-income families and can lead to improved health for families and their communities; and
WHEREAS, Alabama is proud to be home to various community organizations that recognize the importance of diapers in helping provide economic stability for families and distribute diapers to poor families through various channels:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the week of September 25th through October 1st, 2017, as
Diaper Need Awareness Week
in the State of Alabama and encourage the citizens of Alabama to donate generously to diaper banks, diaper drives, and those organizations that distribute diapers to families in need to help alleviate diaper need in Alabama
Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 1st day of September 2017.
Kay Ivey
Governor