Supporting Diaper Access on a College Campus

Like caregivers who are not students, student-caregivers experience diaper need.

Within the first year of life, caregivers may pay $1,500 for an infant’s diapers. Adult incontinence supplies (e.g., bladder control briefs), which many aging or sick adults require, can cost $3,600 a year. The average college student spends $12,300/year on living expenses alone. Covering school and hygiene product expenses can be challenging for many students. Just 40% of full-time students are employed while attending school, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Nationally, many student caregivers are the sole provider for their young children.  Among the Auburn student body, many student caregivers are first-generation students and Pell-grant recipients. 

 Student-caregivers report that the lack of supportive institutional climates and policies can make it challenging to fully be a student and a caregiver. For example, diaper access among student caregivers can create additional barriers to attending school and participating in campus life. Child care providers generally require caregivers to provide all of the diapers a child uses during the child care day, even if child care tuition is subsidized by grants or vouchers. If student-caregivers do not have access to the diapers required, they may have to miss class, study groups, work, or other campus activities to care for their child instead.  

CIT’s ongoing research will seek to provide better estimates of diaper need among student caregivers and best practices for addressing diaper access on college campuses. Insights from the National Diaper Bank Network reveal that 1 in 4 (25%) of parents and caregivers with diaper need reported having to miss work or school because they did not have enough diapers for their child to attend child care.