Tennessee will be the first state to provide free diapers to families as part of its Medicaid program.
The Division of TennCare announced on Tuesday that the TennCare III Amendment initiative has received federal clearance and will launch later this summer.
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Parents will receive up to 100 diapers every month for free until their child reaches the age of two. Infants typically need hundreds of diapers per month. The children must have coverage through TennCare or CoverKids to qualify for the benefit.
During last year’s legislative session, Tennessee lawmakers allocated $30 million for the program. Republican Governor Bill Lee first proposed the idea as a “pro-life” and “pro-family” strategy to allocate a portion of the state’s $330 million in Medicaid block grant funding savings.
In a statement to the Tennessean, Mr. Lee stated, “Strong families are central to strong communities, and Tennessee is leading the nation in prioritizing resources for families in need.” We are the first state in the nation to cover the cost of diapers for moms for their child’s first two years of life, and we aim to set an example for others.”
TennCare stated that it is now working on finalizing the major features of the benefit and will provide further information on how to purchase diapers when they become available in August.
According to the Nashville Diaper Connection, a non-profit that provides diapers to poor families in the city, babies born into poverty may spend a day or more in a single diaper. Sitting in the same diaper can lead to diseases like rashes, fever, blisters, and boils.
Currently, no federal program offers diaper assistance, despite the fact that parents should expect to spend nearly $1,000 on the product each year. Most daycare centers will turn away parents who cannot provide a day’s worth of diapers, prolonging the cycle of financial instability.
