A group of Melbourne mums were faced with a decision on what to do with their unused nappies that no longer fit their children.
In most instances, parents would throw away the nappies and not give it a second thought, however, these mums decided to gather similar donations from other parents and distribute those nappies to families in need.
To create an outlet for people to find them, they launched a Facebook group in October 2013, as a place for families to distribute nappies.
Altona’s Pelvic Health Melbourne has become one of the west’s largest collection points for the collective.
Pelvic Health Melbourne’s Kylie Conway said she saw a post about the Nappy Collective on Facebook in 2017 and felt inspired to get involved.
“So I was running post natal exercise classes for new mums in the community and I saw a Facebook post pop up on my feed one day and because I was already working with new mums, I thought ‘that’s a great way I can ask the mums if they have got any leftover nappies and I can start donating.’”
Ms Conway is now trying to spread the issue on how dangerous ‘nappy stress’ is not only for babies but for the family as well.
“Nappy stress describes the experience of families who do not have enough nappies to change their children as often as needed, some 280,000 children under five years of age across Australia are estimated to suffer nappy stress each year,
“This can cause skin and urinary infections, difficulty accessing childcare, and poor mental health for parents who experience financial and emotional distress as a result of being forced to keep a child in unclean nappies.
“Unless you are a parent or potentially a grandparent, you wouldn’t really know about the collective.
“With costs of living soaring and more families experiencing social disadvantage than ever before, there is an urgent need to provide nappies for families with low incomes, at risk of homelessness, escaping domestic violence, seeking asylum, or at the conclusion of court proceedings when children are unexpectedly returned home.
“Families in need of nappies are often escaping domestic violence, facing homelessness, experiencing financial hardship or seeking refuge.
“Not only does nappy stress impact children, but it also takes a significant toll on parents who are often forced to choose between essentials like nappies and food for themselves to help stretch their limited funds.”
Details: www.thenappycollective.com/where-to-donate-nappies
