Baby formula shortage is particularly painful for foster and adoptive families
Karen Braxton is a proud foster care mom who delights in the 9-month-old baby girl she and her husband welcomed to their Baltimore home in 2021.
“She’s doing great,” Braxton said by phone, as the infant gurgled in the background. “She’s thriving.”
Yet Braxton, who also cares for a toddler, is concerned about a shortage of baby formula that’s swept the country. The shortfall, which began during the pandemic, has only worsened recently because of supply chain disruptions and product recalls.
“I was watching the news and wrote down all the lot numbers that were recalled,” Braxton said. “I had a few cans of formula that were OK. But I had a case of the powder formula that was recalled. I immediately set it aside. What if she’d gotten sick?”