Small, simple changes to laws can have huge, wonderful effects for people facing resource insecurity. But your lawmakers need to know what folks back home care most about. With budget questions looming, now is the perfect time to show your Member of Congress how much your community cares about diaper need.
Take action now and send your Elected Representatives a message – together, we can make a real change for new parents. We’ve included a script for a phone call, or a draft for a letter, to get you started.
Hi, my name is [Name], and I’m a constituent from [Home]
Did you know that 1 in 3 parents were struggling to afford enough diapers for their children before the pandemic started? And with few entitlement programs to help, many were using whatever they had lying around. This can contribute to poor health for newborns early in life and greater medical needs as they grow. A state’s ability to build a strong workforce and a productive community is jeopardized when the future of so many young children is compromised. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Indiana has the highest base tax rate for diapers anywhere in the United States at 7%, even though diapers are an essential need. I urge you to speak to your colleagues about lowering the tax rate for diapers and other essential supplies for newborns in 2022 and implement legislation to that effect.
We owe it to the parents of the next generation of Hoosiers to not put barriers between them and their basic needs. A small change today will have a great effect in the years to come. Please take action to give new parents and children their best chance at a healthy, successful life.
Dear [Decision Maker]
Did you know that 1 in 3 parents were struggling to afford enough diapers for their children before the pandemic started? And with few entitlement programs to help, many were using whatever they had lying around. This can contribute to poor health for newborns early in life and greater medical needs as they grow. A state’s ability to build a strong workforce and a productive community is jeopardized when the future of so many young children is compromised. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Indiana has the highest base tax rate for diapers anywhere in the United States at 7%, even though diapers are an essential need. I urge you to speak to your colleagues about lowering the tax rate for diapers and other essential supplies for newborns in 2022 and implement legislation to that effect.
We owe it to the parents of the next generation of Hoosiers to not put barriers between them and their basic needs. A small change today will have a great effect in the years to come. Please take action to give new parents and children their best chance at a healthy, successful life.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State, ZIP]
If you’d like to learn more, or dig deeper to spread the word, here are the sources we drew from: