Elevance Health and the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) announced a new national pilot program designed to expand access to diapers for families with infants and young children, helping reduce financial strain while generating evidence on how meeting basic material needs can improve maternal and child health outcomes.

The 12-month pilot program will provide free diapers to up to 75 families per month at 10 Welcome Rooms operated by Elevance Health-affiliated Medicaid health plans in communities across the country, reaching as many as 9,000 families in 2026. By pairing these community-based Welcome Rooms with the National Diaper Bank Network’s nationwide network of local diaper banks, the initiative delivers essential resources directly to families where they live and seek care. The program is open to all families in the communities served.

Nearly one in two U.S. families with young children struggles to afford diapers, according to The NDBN Diaper Check 2024. Diapers are a recurring and often significant out-of-pocket expense for families and are not covered by most public assistance programs. Diaper insecurity has been linked to increased parental stress, missed childcare and healthcare appointments and adverse maternal and child health outcomes.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to addressing the real-world factors that impact health, including the rising cost pressures facing families,” says Mike Hofer, chief growth officer of Medicaid for Elevance Health. “By improving access to essential items like diapers through trusted community locations, we can help ease financial strain, support healthier outcomes for mothers and children and strengthen the systems that help families thrive.”

The pilot will serve families in the following communities: Bakersfield and Los Angeles, CA; Hialeah, FL; Columbia, MO; Lakewood, NJ; Columbus and Toledo, OH; Houston, TX; and two sites in Washington, DC.

In addition to direct diaper distribution, NDBN’s Innovation and Impact Department will conduct research and evaluation to examine the relationship between diaper access and key maternal, infant and child health indicators. Areas of study may include caregiver stress, access to preventive care, financial strain and connections to additional family support services. Findings from the pilot will help inform future investments in integrated approaches that support affordability, stability and family well-being.

“By combining direct support with rigorous evaluation, we’ll be able to demonstrate the vital connection between basic needs like diapers and critical health outcomes for mothers and children,” says Joanne Samuel Goldblum, founder and CEO of the National Diaper Bank Network. “This pilot with Elevance Health will help make the case for sustained investment in diaper access as a healthcare and family support strategy.”