California is launching a new program that will give families hundreds of free diapers before they leave the hospital after a birth, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday. Newsom said the initiative is designed to help parents get basic supplies “from day one,” as families adjust to caring for a newborn at home.
Under the plan, the state will offer 400 diapers in sizes for newborns and babies up to 14 pounds (6 kilograms) when a family is discharged from a hospital after birth. California officials said that allotment is intended to cover roughly a month of diapers for newborns, who typically use eight to 10 diapers a day.
The program is slated to start at about 65 to 75 hospitals during its first year, which Newsom’s office said account for about a quarter of births in the state and largely serve low-income patients. The governor’s office said the initiative would later expand to additional hospitals statewide, but did not specify how many.
California said it will partner with the nonprofit Baby2Baby to manufacture the diapers under the “Golden State Start” label. Baby2Baby said its manufacturing system allows it to produce diapers for 80% less than the retail price, according to co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof, who spoke at the announcement.
Co-CEO Norah Weinstein said California was “once again setting the standard of what it means to show up for mothers and babies.” Newsom, a Democrat, also framed the program as part of a broader effort to make life in California more affordable, citing recent policies that provide free meals for students and make preschool free for all.
The state’s budget included $7.4 million for the rollout in last year’s budget, and Newsom’s office said the governor’s budget proposal includes an additional $12.5 million for implementation in the upcoming fiscal year ending in June 2027. Kim Johnson, California’s health secretary, said the first days at home should focus on “the love, connection, and joy of an expanded family, not stress about affording diapers,” and described the program as helping families begin that journey with “greater stability and peace of mind.”
The announcement comes after Tennessee and Delaware became the first states to offer free diapers to families enrolled in their Medicaid programs. In Tennessee, families can pick up 100 diapers per month at pharmacies for children under two, while Delaware’s program, which began as a pilot and expanded in 2024, offers up to 80 diapers and up to one pack of baby wipes per week during the first 12 weeks of life.
California’s Medicaid system does not cover diapers for newborns, but it does cover diapers for enrollees ages 5 and older if they have a medical need, according to the reporting. State officials said the diapers initiative is meant to ease a financial strain that can lead some parents to keep disposable diapers on too long or reuse them, actions that can contribute to rashes and urinary tract infections, the center said.