LUBBOCK, Texas-– On September 1, 774 laws went into effect in Texas, one of them being Senate Bill 379. The bill will make health and family care products tax-free.
Jaden Garett-Salter, co-owner and operator of Delilah’s House, said she has seen firsthand how hard it was for families to get by, especially with an infant needing specific care.
“The cost of stuff is of diapers and formula and wipes and just anything that they need is astronomical, and so having something that cuts that cost any amount, so even just a little bit is incredibly helpful because, at the end of the day, it all adds up,” Garrett-Salter said.
Delilah’s House provides help to young parents needing help with baby necessities. The organization serves 130 families in the Lubbock area.
“We provide supplies like diapers, wipes, basically anything you can think of that you may need for children,” Garrett-Salter said.
Garrett-Salter said parents will benefit greatly from these cuts, hoping it will help some of them out with their week-to-week budget.
“Something like this was 100% absolutely necessary because now people will be able to go out and get some of these things on their own instead of relying on organizations like, Yes, that’s what we’re here for, but also if you’re able to get your feet under you, that’s kind of like the goal,” Garrett-Salter said.
The author of the bill and Texas state representative, Donna Howard, has been introducing this bill for many years, arguing Texas parents who live paycheck to paycheck will appreciate any help they can get, no matter how small.
“The savings from not paying sales taxes on diapers, over a year’s period of time, provides a month’s worth of diapers, which can be really important when you’re talking about having a tank of gas to get to work and being able to get food for your family … all the things that Texas who really are living on the edge have to think about,” Howard said.
Garrett-Salter said she hopes this is only the beginning for parents needing help, in many more aspects of raising a child.
“There is a lack of affordable child care, there’s a lack of resources for families, in particular young parents, there’s a lack of affordable food options for families,” Garrett-Salter said. “Just everything is incredibly difficult, and so with the push for people to be able to have these children, I think that making it easy for people to have kids is important.”
For donation information on Delilah’s House, visit their page here.
