According to the 2022 New Castle County budget, one of the top priorities of the Department of Libraries is “to support the behavioral health and social needs of the community.” Over ten percent of women and girls in Delaware live below poverty, and that often means limited access to menstrual supplies, supplies which are not covered by food assistance programs.

More than 1 in 5 women have reported difficulty obtaining sanitary supplies on a monthly basis and more than 1 in 5 girls have regularly missed school due to lack of these sanitary products.

Access to period supplies has only gotten worst during the COVID19 pandemic.  By providing menstrual supplies in New Castle County libraries, we can seek to greatly reduce period poverty within New Castle County.