Many families across the United States lack access to essential baby health supplies such as clothing, food, and diapers.
The coronavirus pandemic has played a major role in this crisis. As families turn to nonprofits for help, Abortion Prevention Centers (AACs) may misrepresent the scope of their services.
In 2019, AAC giant Heartbeat International claimed to have provided free baby products to 1.85 million people, including over 2 million baby clothes, over 19,000 strollers, and over 1.2 million packs of diapers. But data from Equity Forward, an accountability organization that researches gender equality and sexual and reproductive health, found conflicting numbers.
“Instead of providing direct material support to people, they are using this money to pay staff salaries, engage with SEO marketing professionals, expand outreach to promote themselves, and provide services. We use it for all sorts of overhead costs that we don’t provide to people in need,” equity forward director Ashley Underwood told Yahoo Finance. “They only exist to discourage people from getting abortion care.”
According to Equity Forward’s findings, Heartbeat International provided 1% of its customers with a stroller, 1.6% of its customers with a car seat, and less than 1 pack of diapers per person.
Heartbeat International did not respond to Yahoo Finance’s request for comment.
diaper need
Heartbeat International is a multi-denominational Christian organization that claims to serve approximately 2,850 pregnancy assistance centers, birthing facilities, and non-profit adoption agencies in more than 65 countries, including 1,722 in the United States. This makes us the world’s largest affiliate network of pregnancy centers.
However, Underwood argued, along with other AACs, that the organization did more harm than good.
“There’s no question that rhetoric from the Anti-Abortion Center has increased since June when Dobbs’ decision was announced,” Underwood said. , they have been around for decades before that decision and we have seen that they are not using this money to help people. rather than working towards furthering their own efforts and serving the communities in which they reside.”
According to the National Diaper Network, part of an ongoing public health issue known as “diaper needs,” about one-third of U.S. families have the necessary diapers to keep their babies dry and clean. I can’t afford to buy diapers. In many cases, the need for diapers can cause a range of problems for both the baby and the caregiver, affecting not only physical health but also mental and financial health.
“If caregivers do not have enough diapers to keep the baby clean, dry and healthy, keep the baby in soiled diapers longer than necessary or discard the used diapers. Brigitte Cutler, founder and co-executive director of Moms Helping Moms, told Yahoo Finance, “As a result, infants and toddlers are more susceptible to skin infections, You are at risk for open wounds, urinary tract infections, and other conditions that may require medical attention.
Additionally, almost all child care providers require parents to provide disposable diapers every day to send their child off each day, Cutler explained. I can’t go to school. According to Joanne Samuels Goldblum, CEO of the National Diaper Network, parents who struggle with diaper needs “report that they miss work or school an average of four days per month.”
Additionally, households requiring diapers reported higher levels of stress.
“Studies show that mothers who cannot provide enough diapers for their children are more likely to become depressed,” Cutler said. “Being a parent is hard enough without always stressing meeting your child’s basic needs.”
“fund these propaganda machines”
Currently, there are very limited government programs to help families in need of diapers.
Households are restricted from using WIC (Special Supplementary Food Program for Women, Infants and Children) or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Both are federal programs used to provide nutritious foods to low-income households. to buy diapers.
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is a federal program that provides benefits that can be used to purchase diapers. But Cutler said those funds were insufficient because only 23 percent of his families living below the federal poverty level received cash assistance through his TANF.
Another report from Equity Forward found that at least 10 states have diverted or are currently diverting TANF dollars from families in need into alternative to abortion (A2A) programs. These programs are state-funded and designed to reduce abortions and improve pregnancy outcomes.
Public records of Ohio’s AAC program obtained by Equity Forward reveal that the majority of TANF funds were used by grant recipients for marketing and overhead costs.
In fact, two Ohio programs (Diaper Bank and Abortion Prevention Center) each received $50,000 from the federal government. The Columbus Diaper Bank allocated $30,000 for supplies, but the Elizabeth New Life Center, an abortion prevention center, spent only $2,650.
“It is very disturbing that a pool of funds like temporary assistance for families in need is not directed directly at families in need,” Underwood said. It’s geared toward funding the machine, which is the best way to describe these anti-abortion centers.”
Underwood emphasized the need for adequate systems to support both parenting and currently pregnant individuals.
“Instead of pouring money into these programs, which are more propaganda than services, how can we create an infrastructure that supports parenting, supports people who are pregnant, and supports people to be able to reproduce? It’s the best decision for them,” she said. “We don’t have it.”
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Sandra is an editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on her Twitter. @srsalathe
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