Period poverty in NC schools: The Diaper Bank is stepping in to help
The state has formalized the nonprofit as the official provider for its Feminine Hygiene Products program, shifting from a school-grant model to statewide distribution based on the number of female students in grades six through 12.
by Jennifer Fernandez July 8, 2026
Key takeaways:
Since 2014, the Diaper Bank of NC has distributed more than 3 million period supplies to North Carolina schools, and the state has now formalized the nonprofit as the official provider for its Feminine Hygiene Products program, shifting from a school-grant model to statewide distribution based on the number of female students in grades six through 12.
Period poverty is a significant problem for NC students — one in four teens has missed class because they didn’t have tampons or pads, according to Alliance for Period Supplies, and demand for the state’s grant program consistently outpaces funding. Nearly twice as many districts apply as can be awarded grants each year.
As of July 2026, North Carolina is one of 18 states that still tax period products, though a bipartisan bill — House Bill 1200, the “Tax-Free Family Essentials Act” — has passed the N.C. House of Representatives and could eliminate that tax if approved by the state Senate.
Since 2014, the Diaper Bank of North Carolina has given out more than 3 million period supplies to schools across the state.
When the nonprofit first started giving out tampons, sanitary pads and other items, the term “period poverty” was not used much in the United States, said founder and CEO Michelle Schaefer.
“It was something that we talked about happening in Third World countries, but period poverty really wasn’t a term you heard often,” she said. “And we certainly were not hearing about it happening in our own schools, in our own communities.”
But it is happening, she said.
