…Did you know that our community has advocated for diaper inclusion in the social safety net since 2009? Learn more about our work in support of diaper need:
2009: Help a Mother Out was founded by two Bay Area moms of young children after learning that federal safety net programs like food stamps/WIC (also known as “Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children”) do not include diapers.
2011: Help a Mother Out goes to Washington, D.C., alongside Diaper Difference Coalition advocates (founders of the National Diaper Bank Network), to advocate for the first-ever federal legislation to address diaper need (via an economic recovery act referred to as the “Diaper Investment and Aid to Promote Economic Recovery Act” or “DIAPER” Act).
2014: Help a Mother Out is invited to testify before the California State Assembly Health and Human Services committee on diaper need. We are the first diaper bank in the state to testify before a legislative body.
2015: Help a Mother Out wins a multi-year contract from the City and County of San Francisco to establish and operate the San Francisco Diaper Bank (SFDB), the nation’s first publicly funded diaper bank! The SFDB launches to serve CalWORKs-eligible children and families.
2019: California makes the groundbreaking decision to be the first state in the nation to allocate pilot funding for diaper banks in the state budget, $10 million annually. Help a Mother Out is one of four original grantees. The limited-term funding was renewed/expanded (to include 8 grantees) in 2021/2022 and is set to expire on June 30th, 2024.
2019: SF Diaper Bank expands to serve CalFresh-eligible children and families.
2020: Help a Mother Out creates its private-label premium diaper brand, ELO Baby.
2022: SF Diaper Bank expands to serve Medi-Cal-eligible children and families.
2023: California Association of Diaper Banks (CADB) is formed; HAMO is a charter member; CADB's budget request for diaper bank expansion does not make it into the final budget.
2024: The State was faced with a huge deficit. The Governor’s budget notably includes deep cuts to health and human services; Diaper bank funding was not included in the Governor’s budget. Thanks to Asm. Ortega and CADB’s grassroots efforts, diaper bank funding was saved at the last possible hour for 2024/2025; $9 million was awarded to CADB members, representing an annual funding reduction of thirty-five percent.
2025: CADB diaper bank funding was not included in the Governor’s original January budget. Thanks to our advocacy efforts in conjunction with several allies, California diaper banks are included in the FY2025-2026 state budget, with $7.4 million in funding allocated.