Chairs and distinguished members of the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of Children’s HealthWatch in strong support of H.220/S.151, Acts Establishing a Diaper Benefits Pilot Program. My name is Dr. Ana Poblacion, I am an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. I am also the Research Scientist and Director of Multisite Operations at Children’s HealthWatch, a nonpartisan pediatric research and policy network that seeks to achieve health equity for young children and their families by advancing research to transform policy.
I urge the Committee to give a favorable report to this bill, which would establish a state-funded diaper benefits pilot program with an effectiveness component. And I have compelling evidence to support this approach.
In 2023, MASSCAP contracted with Children’s HealthWatch to evaluate the impact of their federally-funded Diaper Distribution Pilot in Massachusetts. Our research team designed and implemented an evaluation including pre- and post-pilot surveys and regional focus groups. Within 14 months, we collected over 500 longitudinal surveys showing statistically significant improvements in both economic and health indicators. With an average time of 8 months between surveys, we saw:
- Employment rates increased 30%
- Household incomes shifted upward as families moved from lower to higher income brackets
- Financial stability improved 13%, with income volatility decreasing significantly
- Caregivers reported a 31% reduction in stress levels related to diaper insufficiency
- Caregivers reported improved mental health, with 24% decrease in positive screens for anxiety and depression
- Children experienced 33% more frequent diaper changes
- Children also experienced a 27% decrease in diaper rash severe enough to require medical attention
These results and more are detailed in a report titled “Changing Diapers, Changing Lives: The Health and Economic Impacts of Diaper Benefits”, launched today by MASSCAP and Children’s HealthWatch, as a call for action in support of this bill and for stakeholders to use it as an example of success throughout this 2025 Diaper Awareness week and beyond. So, I urge the committee to support H.220/S.151 to establish a Massachusetts Diaper Benefits Pilot Program as this evidence-based intervention will improve child and caregiver health, support family economic mobility, and demonstrate Massachusetts’s commitment to ensuring all children have access to basic necessities for healthy development.
Thank you for your consideration, and I’m available to answer any questions. Sincerely,
Ana Poblacion, PhD, MSc
Research Scientist & Director of Multisite Operations, Children’s HealthWatch
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine