WEEKLY UPDATE: 02/19/26
In partnership with The Diaper Bank of Connecticut (DBCT), the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is urging the legislature to provide funding to sustain and strengthen the statewide Diaper Connections program. CHA will continue to advocate on this important issue throughout the 2026 Legislative Session.
CHA provided testimony urging the Appropriations Committee to include a $1 million line item in the state budget proposal, HB 5032, An Act Adjusting The State Budget For The Biennium Ending June 30, 2027, to support diaper distribution through DBCT, in collaboration with hospitals and community organizations.
The General Assembly’s Reproductive Rights Caucus, co-chaired by State Representatives Jillian Gilchrest (D-West Hartford) and Matt Blumenthal (D-Stamford), also announced on Wednesday, February 18, that among the more than 60 members’ 2026 legislative priorities is “support families with children ages 3 years or under who live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level through an allocation of $1 million to The Diaper Bank of Connecticut to support their Diaper Connections program.”
Launched in 2022 through a partnership among DBCT, CHA, and hospitals statewide, Diaper Connections integrates diaper need screening into healthcare settings and leverages community partnerships to distribute diapers through labor and delivery units, maternity and pediatric clinics, emergency departments, and primary care sites. More than 3,000 infants and toddlers have been served to date, with most Connecticut hospitals engaged in implementation.
Research demonstrates that diaper provision improves health outcomes and generates measurable return on investment. Connecticut modeling found diaper rash declined by 33% and infants experienced 77% fewer days of diaper rash when families received clean diapers. National findings show that every dollar invested in diaper support yields significant healthcare and economic savings.
Beyond distribution, Diaper Connections represents an innovative, coordinated maternal and child health infrastructure built through strong hospital-community collaboration. Sustaining this model also helps ensure diaper banks and community organizations can continue directing limited charitable supply to families beyond those eligible for public coverage, including Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households.
A $1 million investment is the most immediate and effective way to protect and build upon the statewide infrastructure Connecticut has already established, sustaining hospital participation, ensuring consistent diaper distribution, maintaining care coordination pathways that connect families to wraparound services, and supporting data collection to measure healthcare cost avoidance.
Click here to read CHA’s testimony supporting state funds for Diaper Connections.
Click here to learn more about CHA’s ongoing advocacy efforts to expand access to diapers.
Related News:
Connecticut Hospitals, Health Systems Advocate for Medicaid Coverage of Diapers
CHA Joins The Diaper Bank of Connecticut To Advocate for Medicaid Coverage of Diapers
