WEEKLY UPDATE: 04/09/26
At this week’s Early Childhood Advocacy Day, the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) joined The Diaper Bank of Connecticut (DBCT) at the State Capitol to champion legislation that would provide $1 million in grant funding to establish a diaper partnership program.
HB 5486, An Act Concerning A Diaper Grant Program, helps ensure families with young children have access to an adequate supply of diapers. The bill has advanced out of the Appropriations Committee and awaits further action by the Connecticut House of Representatives.
HB 5486 would increase access to diapers — a simple, yet highly effective, preventive intervention. By requiring the Department of Social Services (DSS) to establish a grant program to fund the provision of free diapers through trusted community partnerships, the bill builds upon the success of the Diaper Connections program, which has facilitated the distribution of diapers to families after screening for need in hospitals and healthcare settings. This approach leverages existing hospital infrastructure and established community distribution networks — including labor and delivery units, maternity and pediatric clinics, and primary care practices — to efficiently reach families when they are already engaged with the healthcare delivery system.
The proposed $1 million appropriation is a prudent investment that will strengthen and expand these efforts, directly improving health outcomes for infants and young children, reducing avoidable medical visits, and improving family stability. CHA continues to urge the legislature to pass this critical measure.
Stakeholders and community members can encourage their local legislators to pass the proposal by emailing them via this link.
Read CHA’s testimony on HB 5486 here.
Click here to learn about DBCT’s latest advocacy efforts.
