Local Churches Collect 15,000 Diapers For Community Diaper Bank

Led by the congregation at 1st United Methodist Church, more than 15,000 diapers were collected during the annual collection drive that supports community members who struggle with diaper need.

Other Methodist churches from the area helped gather diapers that will be distributed through the Community Diaper Bank out of the Family Promise Day Center (10 S. 26th Street, Billings).

Here are some childcare statistics that exhibit what Montanan's face (courtesy of Family Promise of Yellowstone County):

• Montana has 38,060 children under the age of 3.

• 65% of mothers in the workforce in Montana have children under the age of 3

• Infants require up to 12 diapers per day, toddlers about 8.

• Disposable diapers can cost $70 to $80 per month per baby.

• No state or federal child safety-net program allocates dollars specifically for the purchase of diapers.

• Most childcare centers, even free and subsidized facilities require parents to provide a day’s supply of disposable diapers.

Family Promise of Yellowstone County is the state's only National Diaper Bank and in 2018 helped 1,591 individuals and of those 1,085 were children.