Hundreds of parents cannot afford diapers for their babies in KC area

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - This week is National Diaper Need Awareness Week.

Happy Bottoms is a Kansas City-based organization hoping to raise awareness about the need for diapers in the Greater Kansas City community.

"The coverage of diapers does not exist. You cannot buy diapers with food stamps or WIC cards,” said executive director, Liz Sutherlin. “There's essentially a gap in our safety net when it comes to diapers and the babies are the ones who suffer."

Sutherlin said it is a growing problem in this community with 1500 parents in the six counties surrounding KC in need of diapers.

Last month alone, Happy Bottoms provided diapers for more than 800 children alone, said Sutherlin. There are more than 1800 babies on the waiting list.

"Do I pay bills like my cell phone or even my heat bill, or do I buy diapers? That's not a decision we want these moms to have to make,” she said.

Even though Diaper Need Awareness Week wraps up on Sunday, September 16, Happy Bottoms wants to remind people that the need continues for 365 days a year.

"You think of the things that bring joy in life,” said Sutherlin. “Something as simple as a diaper brings great joy to these parents. They get emotional. None of these moms want to leave their babies in dirty diapers.”

Happy Bottoms not only accepts monetary donations, as well as full packages of diapers.  The agency also takes in single diapers and opened packages.

"When I read on the website how some moms choose between paying bills or buying diapers and thinking how hard that would be, it's a cause close to our hearts,”

To learn more about Happy Bottoms, or to make a donation, visit http://happybottoms.org/