Meeting Diapering Need #schoolofcloth

Diapers are probably the biggest required expense new parents encounter when they bring a child into their home. The weekly cost of disposable diapers while not huge for just one package, quickly adds up. From birth to potty training, it's estimated to be about $2500. For some families, the choice between that package of diapers or food or gas for the car is a harsh reality each week.

Cloth diapers allow families to save money over the long haul by making an up front investment in an item that will last through several children. For those that are having to make the tough choice between food and diapers, it's an investment they might not be able to afford. Cloth diaper closets/ banks can help fill this need by helping to get families a cloth diaper stash for little upfront cost.

Enkore Kids is starting a cloth diaper closet to help low income families in our local area afford diapers for their children . Our diaper closet will supply each family with a diaper stash that will be configured to meet their needs based on the age/weight of the child(ren) and whether or not the child(ren) will be in daycare. There are even hand-washing options for those that may not have the reliable use of a washer and dryer.

Our program provides families with a “rent to own plan” that will allow them to pay a low monthly fee until the diapers have been paid in full. Generally, it's a plan that lasts about 6 months and costs between $25 and $45 a month depending on the needs and age of the child. Built into the program is “up-sizing” the sized components of the stash as the child grows – switching out “newborn” prefolds for “infant” along with the covers, for instance, at no extra charge.

The family can then keep and use these diapers until they are done with cloth diapering and then can take advantage of our buyback program allowing them to purchase other items their child may need at that time.

While $25 to $45 is less than the cost of disposables (estimated to be about $80/month), we know even that can be a hardship for some families. Thanks to the generosity of our customers, we are able to offer a subsidy for those with demonstrable need (participants in WIC, SNAP, and/or Low Income hosing) or serving those in need (foster parents). Also, discounts on other goods will be available to qualified participants while a part of this program.

Our donated funds will not last long, so we are working now to establish partnerships with area charities to ensure continued access to this program in the future. We are also collecting donations of diapers, goods for sale and money (or store credit) from our customers if they'd like to support this program.

Our “rent to own” program (without a subsidy) is available to anyone who is interested in a way of cloth diapering their children on a budget. Families can start making payments on a diaper package even before baby is born if they want to spread out the cost even longer.

We are working to partner with area hospitals, food banks, birth circles, daycares, and other child care professionals to get word out to families that may be interested in this program.

For more information and to start the process, please click http://enkorekids.com/cloth-closet.

By Susan McCarthy

Co-Owner of Enkore Kids

Affordability of Cloth Diapers #schoolofcloth

One of the main objections I hear from people when I talk to them about cloth is that it costs too much.

I was fortunate when I began my cloth diaper journey that I was able to find some free cloth diapers on a local online giveaway site. Without those diapers, I'm not sure I would have stuck with cloth since my options at the time were to buy diapers mostly sight unseen online. Luckily, during one of my early diapering pickups, I met a woman who was willing to take the time to explain to me how many of the inexpensive diapers in her stash worked. Cheap diapers such as prefolds and flats made it possible for me to have several changes each day for my son while I saved money to buy and try other diapers such as pockets and all-in-ones.

I often tell people when they are just beginning to cloth diaper that one of the best investments they can make is to buy two waterproof covers and a Snappi. I have shown many new-to-cloth moms who are struggling financially with the cost of diapers in general, how to diaper their children for less than $25 using towels, receiving blankets, t shirts and other items they already have at home.

Many women have been able to use these at home and save their disposable diapers for daycare until they are able to have enough easier-to-use cloth diapers to send to daycare.

I often start my cloth diaper education with the phrase – disposable diapers for one child will cost you around $3000, while cloth diapers for as many children as you have can cost you as little as $100. Most folks will quickly start to ask questions about cloth diapers on a budget and it seems to ease much of the tension once they realize that cloth diapers really will save them money.

I'm not sure how much money I saved using cloth diapers. I cloth diapered both of my children for probably 90% of their diaper wearing years so I would guess I saved in the neighborhood of $5000 between the two of them. I know that I was able to use the money I was not spending on diapers each week to do many good things for my children and my family.

The upfront cost of cloth diapers should never be something that scares someone away from trying cloth Education is the key to making people aware of all the price options for diapering their children.

By Susan McCarthy, Co-Owner of Enkore Kids

For more information on-line, see:

• Enkore Kids Cloth Diaper Primer
• RDA's Cloth Diaper Users' Guide

More questions?

• Call us at Enkore Kids at 301-668-0837
• Facebook us here.
• Sign up for our FREE Classes. (Participants in the month of November can be entered to win one of several cloth diaper stashes valued at $100 each. Details available at the link.)

Getting Started with Cloth Diapers - @schoolofcloth

Cloth diapering ten years ago was not as easy as it is today as far as finding cloth diapers or finding reliable information. 

I began my cloth diapering journey a few months after my son was born when we discovered that no matter what brand of disposable diapers we were using, he was breaking out in a rash almost every diaper change. I couldn't stand to look at his poor red bottom any longer and so I started to look into cloth diapers. 

My first intro to cloth was my neighbor who had a few “old school” prefold diapers, pins, and a couple of covers that she let me try, but my son quickly outgrew those so I was then on my own finding more diapers. Local stores were no help, so I went online looking. I was able through freecycle to find other cloth diapering moms and meeting with them to get diapers and advice was the most important thing for me to get started. 

My stash grew in sometimes small amounts and sometime large amounts depending on if I was buying items site unseen online or getting them through freecycle or other groups. Washing was trial and error but was helped by my mother who had washed cloth diapers and gave me the advice to keep it simple and just make sure I had enough water and detergent to get them clean. 

I had read online to avoid things that could build up on my diapers such as fragrances and such. Fortunately, adding things to detergents back then was not the norm so my generic Costco detergent worked great.

Rinse, wash, and rinse was my routine and then hang to dry unless it was raining. 

 I loved my cloth and was glad to be able to save money and reduce our environmental impact while improving my children's health. 

I hope that through my classes and through our store, Enkore Kids, I can provide that word of mouth and one-on-one personal advice that was the most helpful to me when I was first trying cloth. 

Online stores, blogs, and informational websites have a place in the cloth diapering world and can help to provide information and services at odd hours or to families that live far from brick and mortar stores, but nothing can replace being able to see and touch a diaper and have a real person be able to show you how to use and adjust the diaper for your particular child. 

Also, being able to talk to other people who live near you with the same water type and same detergent choices can help cut down the time it takes to find a wash routine that works for you. 

I hope that families that are new to cloth for whatever reason can find resources to help them make the best choices for their budgets, babys and lifestyles.   

By Susan McCarthy, Co-owner of Enkore Kids

For more information on-line, see: 

• Enkore Kids Cloth Diaper Primer
• RDA's Cloth Diaper Users' Guide
• RDA's Cloth Diaper Laundry Guide

More questions?

• Call us at Enkore Kids at 301-668-0837.
• Facebook us here.
• Sign up for our FREE Classes. (Participants in the month of November can be entered to win one of several cloth diaper stashes valued at $100 each. Details available at the link.)