Thanks to a new collaboration among Wildfire, the Arizona Diaper Bank and Community Action Agencies, free diapers are available to qualifying low-income families at locations in most Arizona counties, including Maricopa.
The Arizona Diaper Pilot Program is funded with a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Wildfire-led effort “expands free statewide diaper distribution and increases access to diapers for low-income families throughout Arizona,” said Kelly McGowan, Wildfire’s acting executive director.
Diapers are a critical need in Arizona. According to a 2017 study by Huggies nearly three in five parents struggling with diaper needs missed an average of four days of work or school during a specific month because they did not have enough diapers when dropping their children off at childcare or early education programs.
Each year, the Arizona Diaper Bank distributes 30,000 diapers to at least 8,000 unique individuals, 95 percent of whom live at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty line.
In addition to distributing diapers, the program will connect families to economic mobility and family support services such as job training, educational support, Early Head Start and housing services, among others.
There are three Arizona Diaper Pilot Distribution Program locations in Phoenix: 3454 N. 51st Ave.; 914 W. Hatcher Road; 4732 S. Central Ave. Call 602-534-2433 to contact the City of Phoenix for information. For more information about Wildfire, visit www.wildfireaz.org.
