DALLAS — Early next year, Huggies plans to launch a program enabling diaper banks to buy bulk quantities of its diapers at competitive prices.

The Kimberly-Clark baby care brand said Thursday that it will be the first global diaper brand to offer such a program. Also, through the end of 2016, Huggies will match all Rewards Point diaper donations made to help babies in need.

In March, Huggies donated 22 million diapers to the National Diaper Bank Network in response to President Obama’s call to address diaper need in the United States.

Huggies said the announcement is part of its response to President Obama’s March 2016 call for helping the one in three families experiencing “diaper need,” the inability to provide fresh, clean diapers for their babies.

“These efforts support No Baby Unhugged, our promise to help babies get the hugs they need to thrive,” stated Giusy Buonfantino, president of Kimberly-Clark baby and child care for North America. “We are inspired by parents’ hugs — nurturing baby with care, cradling baby in comfort and surrounding baby in protection. The holidays are the perfect time to think about others and give back, so we’re turning that inspiration into diaper donations and providing even more access to our high-quality Huggies diapers to benefit the National Diaper Bank Network.”

Parents can help by donating Huggies Rewards Points, for which the brand will match each point donated through Dec. 31. To date in 2016, Huggies and its partners have donated more than 48 million diapers and wipes.

“We want all babies to have the opportunity to grow up healthy and happy,” added Buonfantino. “In 2017, we will continue to do our part as a leader in the effort to combat diaper need by driving donations and advocacy, and we look forward to launching our new program that will help more babies in need through the National Diaper Bank Network.”

Kimberly-Clark said it spotlighted the issue of diaper need in 2010, when a Huggies study revealed one in three U.S. mothers isn’t able to provide their babies fresh, clean diapers. These parents often have to choose between paying for food or diapers. Huggies has donated more than 200 million diapers and wipes since 2010 and helped build up a capability of 300-plus diaper banks nationwide as the founding sponsor of the National Diaper Bank Network.

“Having access to a Huggies quality diaper through this program is the best value the network has had yet,” commented Joanne Goldblum, chief executive officer of the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN). “In addition to the 20 million diapers that Huggies donates to NDBN each year, the new diaper purchasing program will provide NDBN-members access to a trusted source of diapers needed to fully serve struggling families in their local communities.”