Government waste: HHS spends $8M to research free diaper distribution

The Golden Horseshoe is a weekly designation from Just the News intended to highlight egregious examples of wasteful taxpayer spending by the government. The award is named for the horseshoe-shaped toilet seats for military airplanes that cost the Pentagon a whopping $640 each back in the 1980s.

This week's Golden Horseshoe is awarded to the Department of Health and Human Services for an $8 million grant to evaluate whether certain organizations are capable of distributing diapers consistently to low-income families.

The purpose of the Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Program is "to evaluate the ability of [community action agencies (CAA)], social services agencies, and other non-profit community organizations to provide diapers and diapering supplies on a consistent basis through diaper distribution programs while also offering support services for families with low incomes," explains the grant synopsis.

While the $8 million is for a pilot program, it appears low-income families are already receiving free diapers, as the synopsis details how diaper distribution is to be expanded. Grant recipients will partner with community organizations to "operate and expand diaper distribution programs" for low-income families.

HHS' Office of Community Services (OCS) will use the information from the pilot program to determine if the grant recipients use the millions in funding as intended.

"As part of the pilot and in cooperation with the recipients, OCS will conduct a robust evaluation to collect pertinent information to assess DDDRP grant recipients' use of the funding to support low-income families by expanding ongoing diaper distribution programs (i.e., programs where families can receive diapers on a consistent basis) that also offer support services," the synopsis reads.

The diaper pilot program was funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act  of 2022. The act provided HHS $108.3 billion, $11.3 billion more than in FY2021, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

HHS acknowledged in the grant's accompanying documents that its existing program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, may also be used for diaper purchases.

"The assistance provided by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program may be used to buy diapers; however, diapers are only one need among many and only 21 percent of TANF-eligible families participate in the program," according to the grant. "Other programs providing social support to low-income families provide targeted benefits for food assistance, housing, healthcare, etc., but none of them provide funding for diapers or diapering supplies."

HHS did not respond to a request for comment on the grant.