Diaper Bank Program

The Diaper Bank Grant Program is administered by the District of Columbia's Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF), the District’s Medicaid agency. DHCF is responsible for overseeing Medicaid, CHIP, and the local Health Care Alliance programs, serving more than 300,000 low-income residents across the District. These programs support children, adults, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Recognizing that diapers are a basic yet often unaffordable necessity for families with infants and toddlers, DHCF launched this initiative to address a gap in coverage. Most federal and state health care programs, including Medicaid, do not cover diapers except in the case of diagnosed incontinence, leaving many low-income families struggling to afford these essential supplies. The Diaper Bank Grant Program seeks to alleviate diaper need among families with infants aged three years and younger. Through this funding opportunity, DHCF will award a single grant of up to $500,000 to a qualified nonprofit organization. The goal is to distribute free diapers to eligible families residing in the District who are enrolled in qualifying public assistance programs or living in various housing assistance settings such as shelters or transitional housing. This grant aims to promote child health and hygiene by supporting clean diaper access, while also alleviating financial pressure on caregivers who may be forced to make tradeoffs between diapers and other necessities. To be eligible, applicants must be nonprofit organizations that are either registered in the District of Columbia or incorporated in another jurisdiction but authorized to operate in D.C. They must demonstrate a successful track record in administering a diaper bank or similar program. Organizations must be in good standing with local and federal agencies, including DLCP, IRS, DOES, and OTR, and be able to produce documentation such as an operating budget that includes diaper-related expenditures and a certificate of good standing. Sub-grants are allowed, and any proposed sub-grantees must also meet eligibility and documentation requirements. The grant supports diaper purchasing and distribution activities only. Funds may not be used to duplicate existing services provided by federal or city programs, nor can they be applied toward advertising, market research, or any promotional expenses not directly related to the program. All spending must align with the approved budget. Key deliverables, milestones, and outcome measures must be clearly documented in the application, and the grantee will be held to these metrics during implementation. Payment will be issued according to a Fund Disbursement Schedule following the signing of the Notice of Grant Agreement (NOGA), and grantees must submit monthly financial and programmatic reports, along with a final report at the close of the program. Applications opened on December 15, 2025, and will close on January 14, 2026, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. A pre-application conference is scheduled for December 22, 2025. All applications must be submitted electronically to DHCF via email. Submissions will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility, followed by scoring based on organizational capacity, program design, and fiscal management. The selected grantee will be notified by February 13, 2026, and the award period will extend through September 30, 2026. DHCF encourages organizations with strong community ties and administrative capacity to apply. The program intends not only to provide immediate relief through diaper distribution but also to enhance the overall well-being of low-income families with young children in Washington, D.C., filling a gap not currently addressed by federal healthcare or assistance programs.