New Legislation Would Help Military Families Struggling with Diaper Costs

Two lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a new bipartisan bill that would help military families with children and on tight budgets to purchase and gain better access to diapers and supplies.

Reps. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) on Tuesday introduced the Military Family Diaper Partnership Act which would establish what they call a Military Family Diaper Fund to support military families and children of servicemembers by providing reliable access to diapers and related supplies.

The legislation follows the pair’s previously introduced legislation in November 2025 called the Military Family Diaper Assistance Act, intended to also aid military families’ pocketbooks by establishing a pilot program that would connect community diaper banks with military installations to increase affordability and diapers to families in need.

“Military families make enormous sacrifices every day, moving to new communities, juggling deployments, and keeping life running at home while their loved ones serve,” Foushe said in a statement. “Caring for young children under these conditions can already be overwhelming, and access to basic necessities like diapers should never be a struggle.”

Mackenzie in a statement said he and his fellow congressional colleague are “doubling down” on their previous legislation.

“It’s time to provide military families with the support that they’re counting on to help them grow and thrive,” he said.

Law Would Link DoD, Diaper Bank

If taken up by Congress and ultimately voted into law, this legislation would direct Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enter into an agreement with the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN)—the nation’s leading organization coordinating the donation and distribution of free diapers and essential supplies across the country. 

That arrangement would involve the Department of Defense providing $1 million annually from Fiscal Year 2027, which would begin in October 2026, to FY 2030 to establish the Military Family Diaper Fund.

NDBN would match those federal funds, equating to a combined total four-year investment of $8 million and support diaper distribution centers located within a 20-mile radius of military installations.

Also, per the agreement, NBDN would submit an annual report to Hegseth or whoever is the defense secretary at the time, providing detailed accounts of funding to provide transparency and accountability.

'Readiness and Economic Issue'

The Military Family Diaper Partnership Act is endorsed by NDBN and the Diaper Bank of North Carolina (DBNC) and the National Diaper Bank Network.

“Diaper Bank of North Carolina has helped elevate diaper needs as a real readiness and economic issue for military families,” Michelle Schaefer, founder and CEO of DBNC, told Military.com on Tuesday. “By sharing data from our statewide work and the lived experiences of the 2,650 military-connected babies we serve each year, we helped demonstrate that diaper insecurity is widespread and measurable.

“This version of the bill reflects that understanding by recognizing diapers as an essential need and proposing a practical partnership solution.”

Schaefer said that diapers, which are not covered by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Women, Infants & Children program (WIC), can cost $80-$120 per month per child. That could be a continuous cost burden, especially for younger enlisted military families living on tight budgets and especially during relocations or deployments.

Research conducted by DBNC found that 9 out of 10 military families with young children who receive free diapers from their diaper bank worry about how they will afford diapers. Schaefer said that level of stress compounds other financial pressures like groceries, childcare and transportation.

Even modest assistance can reduce stress and free up funds for other essentials like utilities, gas or groceries. When a family does not have to choose between diapers and food, it improves stability at home and allows service members to focus on their responsibilities. Even a small financial reprieve can have a meaningful ripple effect.

DBNC has distributed an estimated 836,000 diapers to military families across North Carolina, covering more than 16,720 babies. Families’ needs, whether for diapers or other necessities like clothing, continue behind the scenes and often without fanfare.