AUSTIN, Texas — One Austin mom has two daughters who aren't potty trained.
"My youngest, probably 10," she said, referring to the number of diapers her youngest uses. "My second, my middle child, she's going through maybe five or six diapers a day."
That's nearly 16 diapers she has to change daily, and it's not cheap.
"I just sometimes just don't have enough diapers that will last me paycheck to paycheck," she added. "I've been really struggling with it."
Unfortunately, this is the truth for many Austinites.
Holly McDaniel, executive director at Austin Diaper Bank, said prices are slowly increasing, making it harder for low-income families to afford.
"If you have $20 to get groceries and diapers and other things that you need, even a ... 50-cent increase can really affect a family," McDaniel said. "It can limit them from buying the amount of diapers or period supplies that they need."
Diaper needs affect one in three families in Central Texas. However, Austin is not the only city seeing this.
The National Diaper Bank reported COVID-19's influence on the global supply chain has caused shortages, leading to price increases. In the U.S., more than 30% of families are suffering from the current diaper shortage.
McDaniel said families have had to get creative.
"A lot of families will actually wash out a disposable diaper hang it in the sun to dry out and reuse it," McDaniel said. "They'll use T-shirts, paper towels, towels, especially when they're home."
However, this isn't safe.
"We want them to wear diapers that wick away the moisture and keeps diaper rash at bay," added McDaniel.
If not, babies can suffer from things like urinary tract infections. So, it's important to keep babies clean and healthy.
While this is the reality for many parents, the Austin mother KVUE spoke to said she hasn't had to do that yet. Since she goes out to churches and reaches out to friends for help, she's found ways to stock up.
However, it isn't always easy.
"It gets really stressful and stressful for parents because the kids are uncomfortable," she said. "It is stressful and stressful for everyone."
For now, all she can hope for is that one of her daughters learns to use the restroom on her own. At that point, she'll gain back a bit of her financial stability.
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