SAN FRANCISCO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) on Friday announced the expansion of the San Francisco Diaper Bank, the country's first city-funded program that provides diapers for low-income families on public benefits.

       All children under age three in low-income families receiving public benefits in San Francisco can receive free diapers through the San Francisco Diaper Bank, the announcement said.

       "This program strengthens the Citywide Children and Family Recovery plan by ensuring the basic needs of all of our children are met as we continue to emerge from the pandemic," said Breed.

       The average monthly diaper bill for a child under three years old can range from 80 to 100 U.S. dollars per month, with infants needing up to 12 diapers a day and toddlers about eight a day. Yet, most state and federal safety net programs for families do not currently recognize diapers as a necessity, according to the announcement.

       The high cost of diapers creates a "diaper need" for low-income families. More than a third of families in the United States experience diaper need and are forced to make difficult decisions, often choosing between diapers and other necessities such as groceries, rent, and clothing, it said.

       "One of the many reasons we're proud to expand the Diaper Bank is that it addresses racial and systemic inequities that start as early as infanthood, removing obstacles many families face to child care and early education," said SFHSA Executive Director Trent Rhorer.

       Since its inception in 2015, the San Francisco Diaper Bank has supplied diapers to more than 5,800 San Francisco infants and toddlers, with 95 percent of the families served to identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; and 48 percent speak a language other than English at home.