By Bay City News.
Low-income families with babies in San Mateo County will soon receive funding for free diapers, after the Board of Supervisors this week approved funding for the distribution of free diaper supplies.
The board at its meeting Tuesday approved $50,000 in funding to support a pilot program of free diaper supplies for families in need, county officials said in a news release.
Two San Mateo County libraries will distribute at least 1,800 kits during special giveaways this month through February of next year. Each kit will contain 80 diapers and 200 wipes, county officials said.
Much of the funding came from Measure K, a countywide extension of the half-cent sales tax. County libraries also took advantage of diapers donated by SupplyBank.org, a nonprofit that provides essential goods to underserved communities, according to Supervisor Ray Mueller's office, which sponsored the program.
According to the county, low-income families spend about 14 percent of their after-tax income on diapers and studies have shown that a family's poverty level increases after the birth of a child.
“No family should have to make the impossible choice between paying rent, putting food on the table, or caring for their baby using necessary supplies like diapers,” Mueller said in a statement.
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