Your Stories: Saint Francis Supports Diaper Partnership Grant Program

April 1, 2026

In March, the Diaper Bank of Connecticut held a press conference at the Legislative Office Building to advocate for continued funding for the Diaper Connections Program, an initiative that has supported thousands of mothers experiencing diaper insecurity. Representatives from Saint Francis Hospital proudly joined partners from across the state. Through collective advocacy, stories from families, and powerful testimonies, the bill received bipartisan support thanks to State Representatives Jillian Gilchrest and Matt Lesser. As a result, the Human Services Committee advanced HB 5486 one step closer to being funded.

(L to R) Marlin Melo, Community Health Worker, Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry; Carolyn Alessi, Regional Director, Community Health and Well-Being; Janet Stolfi-Alfano, CEO, Connecticut Diaper Bank; and Melissa Crawford, Manager, Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry.

Diapers are a basic material need, just as essential as food and shelter, and are fundamental to the health and economic stability of families. Nationally, approximately 30% of families report diaper need. To help address this, the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) launched Diaper Connections in November 2022. The program provides monthly diaper distribution through Connecticut’s acute care hospitals and partnerships with community-based organizations. The program directly supports family well-being by preventing issues linked to diaper need, including maternal depression, diaper rash and increased healthcare utilization.

Saint Francis Hospital partnered with CHA to pilot Diaper Connections through the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry, which already maintains a strong, longstanding relationship with the Diaper Bank of Connecticut. This pilot deepened that partnership and expanded impact. Families referred to our hospital-based food pantry became eligible to receive 100 diapers per child per month, doubling the previous amount of 50.

Despite recent funding cuts to the statewide Diaper Connections program, Saint Francis remains fully committed to serving families in need. While the Food Pantry is no longer able to provide 100 diapers per child, we have sustained support at 50 diapers per child, per month so that continuity of care is not disrupted. Referrals primarily come from the Labor and Delivery Department and Safety Net Clinics, where patients are screened using the Trinity Health social needs screening tool to identify urgent social and economic barriers. Each referral includes support from a Community Health Worker who partners with families to access diapers and other essential resources, while also helping identify the underlying contributors to diaper insecurity.

Today, the Joan C. Dauber program serves 1,000 families per month in the North End of Hartford for whom a reliable diaper supply is essential to health, dignity and economic stability.

HB 5486 requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to:

Establish a diaper partnership grant program that funds diaper distribution at no cost to eligible children.
Define reporting requirements for diaper partnerships that receive grant funding.
The bill includes an appropriation of $1 million to support this effort.

Trinity Health Of New England strongly supports this legislation because it:

Recognizes diaper insecurity as a public health issue.
Strengthens and sustains successful hospital/community partnerships already operating across Connecticut.
Provides a critical lifeline to families, ensuring infants remain clean, dry, and healthy.

Without access to an adequate diaper supply, caregivers often keep infants in soiled diapers longer than recommended, leading to preventable health issues and increased stress on families. HB 5486 invests in a proven solution that supports child health, maternal mental health and family stability.

Submitted by Carolyn Alessi, Regional Director, Community Health and Well-Being, Trinity Health Of New England.

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