Published on Nov. 13, 2024
Approximately, one in three families in the United States experience diaper insecurity or diaper need –when families are unable to afford enough diapers to keep their infant or child clean, dry, and healthy. The Childbirth Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, as a team bonding activity and a way to give back to the community they serve, recently donated 8,000 diapers to the Orange County Diaper Bank at Community Action Partnership of Orange County, a local nonprofit that is seeking to prevent poverty by stabilizing, sustaining and empowering people with the resources they need when they need them.
“I heard state funding to California diaper banks went away at the end of June 2024. With that news, I knew we had to do something to help fill the gap in the community,” said Jennifer Ayala, MSN, RNC-OB, director of maternal child health services, Childbirth Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center. “The Orange County Diaper Bank gives out about 60,000 diapers per month to about 10,000 children county wide. With diaper banks losing state funding support, this has the potential to create a huge gap in care, so our team decided to start a Diaper Drive this year, which we will turn into an annual event, to ensure our community has the support and resources they need to keep their little ones healthy.”
The soon-to-be-annual Diaper Drive at Orange Coast Medical Center ensures that families, regardless of their financial circumstances, are provided with the resources they need to help them thrive and keep their children healthy. MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center is committed to giving back and serving its community, providing members with the assurance that they can rely on them for their health care needs.
“From clinicians to public safety, there was no shortage of diapers from Orange Coast Medical Center,” said Katy Roulette, manager, social services, Orange Coast Medical Center. “It’s amazing to be a part of such a caring and thoughtful organization that cares for the community so deeply. Seeing the care teams coming together to provide diapers to those in need is incredible, and I look forward to next year’s drive.”
The Childbirth Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center offers a wide range of comprehensive services for expecting and new parents, from childbirth, education, and labor delivery to postpartum support and breastfeeding assistance. With a focus on patient-centered care, the center has become the cornerstone for maternal and newborn health in the community. The Childbirth Center is recognized as a “high performing” hospital in maternity care by U.S. News & World Report. It was also awarded by California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) with the Quality & Sustainability Award: Nulliparous Term Singleton Vertex (NTSV) Cesarean Birth Rate for meeting and maintaining the Healthy People 2030 target rate for the NTSV Cesarean Birth, and the MDC Superstar Award: Medium Birth Volume Hospitals for exhibiting high levels of engagement with the Maternal Data Center (MDC) with their annual birth rate.
