Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced a statewide program that will provide 400 free diapers to every baby born at participating California hospitals, the governor’s office said. The program, called “Golden State Start,” is a partnership with Los Angeles-based nonprofit Baby2Baby and is set to begin this summer.
Under the plan, hospitals will distribute the diapers directly to parents when they are discharged, with early rollout prioritizing facilities that serve low-income patients on Medi-Cal, Newsom’s office said. The administration said the program will be offered in about 65 to 75 hospitals in its first year, covering roughly a quarter of births in the state, the Associated Press reported.
Funding for the initiative was included in last year’s budget with $7.4 million allocated to launch the program, and Newsom’s latest proposal seeks an additional $12.5 million for implementation through the fiscal year ending June 2027, the AP reported. The Legislative Analyst’s Office warned in its January budget overview that the state faces a projected $2.9 billion deficit for 2026-27 and long-term structural deficits of $20 billion to $35 billion annually, the office said.
Baby2Baby will handle manufacturing and logistics for the diaper distribution, and its leaders called the partnership “historic.” “We are incredibly grateful to Governor Newsom for his ongoing commitment to combating diaper needs in California and could not be prouder to partner on this historic initiative that will support moms and babies at their most vulnerable time,” co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof said in a joint statement. The group says diaper need is widespread, with as many as one in two families struggling to afford them.
The announcement follows other state efforts to ease family costs, and comes after Tennessee and Delaware launched diaper programs for Medicaid-enrolled families, the AP reported. Fox News Digital said it reached out to the governor’s office regarding the program’s costs.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
