Hartford HealthCare joins statewide diaper bank effort

Diaper needs affect a family’s ability to go to work and school and threatens the health of a family by increasing the likelihood of maternal depression, parental stress and diaper rash in infants and children.

In response to this need, the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is partnering with the Diaper Bank of Connecticut and the Connecticut Department of Housing to address diaper insecurity and diaper need through a new statewide program called Diaper Connections. Funding comes from the Community Development Block Grant program and is administered through the Connecticut Department of Housing. To be eligible, families must earn 80% or less of the area's median income.

Hartford HealthCare is a key component of this new initiative, from planning through execution and distribution. “This is a great example of how hospitals can be an integral part of a community network,” said Joseph Zuzel, director of community health for HHC’s East Region.

Over the last seven months, a committee has been creating the framework of Connecticut hospitals’ participation in Diaper Connections. Zuzel is co-chair of that committee.

Hartford HealthCare’s participation is through its seven acute care hospitals, each of which will team with community service providers to find families in need and then get them the diapers. The hospitals will identify patients that would benefit from the service, and will provide space to store the diapers that are waiting for distribution. The community partners will actually distribute the diapers.

In the East Region, Windham Women’s Health Center and the Healthy Beginnings program will work in conjunction with Windham Head Start and other community organizations. Backus Hospital will partner with the El Shaddai Worship Center in the Greeneville section of Norwich.

Under the program, each enrolled child receives 100 diapers per month.

“Diapers are expensive,” Zuzel said. “And not having an adequate supply of diapers can lead to health issues, emergency department visits, even postpartum depression. Keeping a diaper on too long or not having the proper hygiene for the baby because of a lack of diapers can lead to urinary tract infections, hepatitis, eczema, and serious diaper rash. Feeling that they can’t best provide for their baby can lead to depression and anxiety. Also, many daycares require parents to provide their own diapers, and if they can’t, that means lost work time.”

In fact, more than half (56%) of parents using child care to go to work have missed work because of an inadequate supply of diapers. Parents unable to access child care because of a lack of diapers missed work or school on average 4 days per month. In addition, incidences of diaper rash declined 33% among children whose families received supplies of clean diapers, plus babies experienced 77% fewer days of diaper rash.