REDMOND, OR -- A new local program is getting free diapers to young children in need.

NeighborImpact Operations Coordinator Lexi O’Neal tells KBND News the diaper bank will help about 600 Central Oregon families, “Right now, we're starting with just Head Start (and) Early Head Start families. So, they must have one child enrolled in either Head Start or Early Head Start. And we will supply diapers for any child in their households.”

On average, diapers cost $1,200 a year for one child according to NeighborImpact. “SNAP does not cover nor WIC and a lot of the other resources do not support diapers. So, it's really a high need that no one's covering in this area,” O’Neal says.

“Anybody who's had babies, toddlers… knows the expense of diapers monthly. So, this is just a huge help for, I think, all of us head start members, family members,” says Duncan, a father with children in Head Start.

Right now, qualifying families get one case per child, per month, but O’Neal hopes to eventually expand the program. “We're going to do community distributions. So, we have one location in Redmond, one in Bend, one in La Pine, and one in Prineville. And those are going to be monthly distributions,” she says, adding in-home educators for Early Head Start will also distribute diapers and pull-ups.

The Diaper Bank at NeighborImpact was made possible by a state grant.