Young mothers in Springfield, Massachusetts, said they have been having a hard time with a national shortage of infant formula.
Since last fall, supply chain issues have limited how much baby formula is available across the country. The problem got worse over the winter, when a manufacturer issued a recall and shut down a plant.
Sunindiya Bhalla works for Roca, a non-profit that helps high-risk young mothers in Springfield and Holyoke.
"People are going to Connecticut and other states to try to find formula," she said.
Destiny Torres, 26, of Springfield, has a three-year-old son and a three-week-old daughter.
She said she calls her local Walgreens weekly to find out what day their next shipment of formula arrives.
"If I'm not one of the first ones there, the milk is already sold out," she said. "I even have my aunt in Florida looking and if she finds some, she's going to ship it to me."
The state department of public health says it is starting to see improvements in the availability of some types of formula. It's also directing mothers to stores more likely to have it in stock locally.
