Sacramento, California– California families receiving newborns will soon receive hundreds of free diapers before they leave the hospital under the first-in-the-nation program announced Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
During the program’s first year, it will be offered at about 65 to 75 hospitals that handle about a quarter of the births in the state and serve largely low-income patients, Newsom’s office said. The initiative will expand to include more hospitals statewide, though the governor’s office did not say how many. The state has partnered with the nonprofit Baby2Baby to manufacture diapers under “Golden State Start.”
Newsom said the plan builds on California’s efforts to make life in the expensive state a little easier for families. He highlighted the policies that have been followed in recent years to provide students with free tuition Meals at school And made Preschool is free for everyone.
“Every child born in California deserves a healthy start in life — and that means making sure parents have the basics they need from day one,” the Democrat said in a statement.
The state allocated $7.4 million in last year’s budget to roll out the initiative, and this year’s budget proposal includes an additional $12.5 million to implement the program for the next fiscal year, which ends in June 2027.
Each family will be allowed to receive 400 diapers in sizes for newborns and children weighing up to 14 pounds (6 kg) when they are discharged from the hospital after birth. That’s just over one month, as newborns need an average of 8 to 10 diapers per day.
Baby2Baby provides families in need with essential items. The nonprofit has built a manufacturing system that allows it to produce diapers at 80% less than the retail price, said Kelly Sawyer Patricoff, co-CEO.
“California is once again setting the standard for what attendance means for mothers and babies,” added Nora Weinstein, co-CEO.
This announcement comes after two years Tennessee and Delaware The United States has become the first US state to provide free diapers to families enrolled in its Medicaid program, which provides health care to low-income families. Families in Tennessee can go to pharmacies to purchase 100 diapers a month for children under the age of 2. Delaware’s program, which began as a pilot program before the state expanded it in 2024, provides individuals with up to 80 diapers and up to one package of baby wipes per week for the first 12 weeks of life.
California’s Medicaid system does not cover diapers for newborns, but it does cover items for enrollees ages 5 and older if they have a medical need for them.
Diapers are a large, ongoing expense for many families. They typically spend about $100 a month on items per child, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. The center says the burden of cost could lead some parents to leave their babies’ diapers on too long or reuse disposable diapers, which can lead to rashes and urinary tract infections.
California officials are touting the new effort as a way to ease these financial pressures.
“The first days at home with a newborn should focus on love, bonding and happiness in the extended family, not the stress of buying diapers,” said Kim Johnson, state health secretary. “This program helps ensure families can begin that journey with greater stability and peace of mind.”