What Is The Baby Diaper Gap? The White House Announces Affordable Diaper Program

Parents, rejoice! Infants are tiny little things, but they certainly use up a lot of those nappies, right? Thankfully, the White House just announced an affordable diaper program to help out those who are having a hard time with the mammoth cost.

According to a statement put out by the White House this week, the new program offers convenient ways for low-income families to buy diapers for their young children, since the average family spends $936 for diapers per child each year. "These struggling families may not have access to transportation to the big box store, the credit or capital to buy in bulk at cheaper prices, or the access to internet or ability to receive packages required for online subscription services," the White House wrote in a statement. "The technology that makes life easier for so many of us just doesn’t provide the necessary supports for these families."

The White House continued,

When you have a baby, diapers are a necessity. They are not optional. Addressing the high cost of diapers for low-income families can help to take one more burden off those families as they strive to reach the middle class. and give the next generation the great start in life that all kids deserve. We want every child to grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.

The program is the result of a new partnership between Jet.com, Cuties diapers (which are manufactured by the First Quality brand) and the White House; According to PopSugar Moms, the diapers will then be distributed to various nonprofits for "25 percent less than the lowest purchase price."

"First Quality has volunteered to design new diaper packaging with less colored printing and more efficient packing to cut diaper costs. Jet.com will reportedly be using its nationwide warehouses and distribution channels to ensure that diapers can be delivered to the nonprofits within two days, for free, alleviating storage issues at the charities' facilities," wrote PopSugar Mom's Rebecca Gruber. "This will give nonprofits the opportunity to offer diapers for free, or for significantly reduced prices, to low-income families who struggle to afford them."

The new program has so far attracted the attention of several high-profile celebrities, many of whom took to Twitter to speak out in favor of the initiative. Actress Hilary Duff and designer Rachel Zoe, specifically, were quick to chime in. "Thank you @WhiteHouse for teaming up with @Baby2Baby to shed a light on diaper need. Spread the word! #DiaperGap," the two posted on their respective Twitter accounts.

There is also no federal assistance for purchasing diapers, unlike other essentials like food or health insurance. Programs like WIC, SNAP, Medicaid help provide parents with nutritious foods and the supports they and their babies need to stay healthy. So why not have a diaper program? No family should have to choose between keeping their babies healthy and keeping the lights or heat on, that's for sure.

Ed. Note: An earlier version of this story did not properly cite a PopSugar. Mom post on the details of the White House's new diaper program. Romper regrets the error.