Starting next month, California will begin a groundbreaking program to provide free diapers to families with newborns.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced the initiative, called the Golden State Start, which will distribute 400 diapers to every newborn leaving a participating hospital. This effort is a partnership between the state and Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit.
The program aims to ease the financial burden on families, especially with the rising cost of living. Diaper prices have increased by 45% since the pandemic, according to Newsom. “One out of four families skip meals to pay for diapers,” he said during a press conference in San Francisco. The program will initially focus on hospitals serving a large number of Medi-Cal patients, but plans to expand statewide.
Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof expressed pride in partnering with California. “Diapers are at the core of our mission at Baby2Baby as a shocking one in two families in this country struggles to afford them,” they stated. The nonprofit has developed a manufacturing system that produces diapers at 80% less than retail prices.
The initiative is backed by $7.4 million from last year’s budget, with an additional $12.5 million proposed for the upcoming fiscal year. Newsom emphasized the importance of supporting families from day one, stating, “Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life.”
The program is expected to distribute 40 million diapers in its first year, with plans to increase to 160 million. For more information on participating hospitals, families can visit Baby2Baby’s website once hospitals begin to opt-in.
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