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Gov. Gavin Newsom is launching a taxpayer-backed freebie for new parents, promising hundreds of diapers for every baby born in California under a new statewide program.
The Democrat announced Friday that the state will partner with the nonprofit Baby2Baby to provide 400 families with diapers leaving participating hospitals, starting this summer. The program, called “Golden State Start,” is billed as the nation’s first attempt to reduce the high cost of raising a child.
“Every child born in California deserves a healthy start in life,” Newsom said in a statement, pitching the program as part of his campaign to address affordability.
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The governor of Calif. Gavin Newsom announced on May 8 that the state is partnering with Baby2Baby, a leading national nonprofit organization headquartered in California, to launch the first program in the country to provide free diapers to all babies born in California. (Governor Gavin Newsom)
Under this program, hospitals will distribute diapers directly to parents upon discharge. Officials said the early rollout would prioritize facilities that serve low-income Medi-Cal patients, with plans to expand across the country.
In the first year of the program, it will be offered at about 65 to 75 hospitals that handle about a quarter of the births in the state and mainly serve low-income patients, Newsom’s office said, according to the Associated Press.
The move is the latest in a series of family-focused spending initiatives from the Newsom administration, which already include free school meals and preschool for 4-year-olds.
Critics are likely to challenge the plan’s price tag, especially as California navigates a tightening fiscal environment. Fox News Digital contacted the governor’s office about the cost of the program.
According to the Associated Press, the state set aside $7.4 million in last year’s budget to launch the free diaper program, and Governor Newsom’s latest proposal calls for an additional $12.5 million to be used in the fiscal year ending in June 2027.
However, these spending policies are at odds with sobering economic reality.
In its January budget review, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) noted that while the administration is officially forecasting a deficit of $2.9 billion in 2026-27, the long-term outlook is bleak. The LAO warned that the state faces a structural deficit of $20 billion to $35 billion annually in the coming years.
The state partnered with the nonprofit organization Baby2Baby to make the diapers under the label “Golden State Start.” (Governor Gavin Newsom)
Government officials said they are also looking at ways to take over major diaper brands and lower prices.
Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that distributes food to children in need, will manage the production and implementation of the program. The group says the need for diapers is widespread, as one in two families struggle to find them.
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CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof hailed the partnership as “historic,” saying it will help families through one of their most financially vulnerable times.
“We are extremely grateful to Governor Newsom for his continued commitment to fighting diaper shortages in California and could not be prouder to partner on this historic initiative that will support mothers and babies at their most vulnerable time,” Weinstein and Patricof said in a joint statement.
In the first year of the program, it will be offered at about 65 to 75 hospitals that treat about a quarter of the babies born in the state and mostly serve low-income patients, Newsom’s office said. (Governor Gavin Newsom)
The announcement comes two years after Tennessee and Delaware became the first US states to offer families enrolled in their Medicaid programs health assistance for low-income families.
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Tennessee families can go to pharmacies to pick up 100 diapers a month for children under the age of two. Delaware’s program, which began as a pilot before the state expanded it in 2024, provides people with up to 80 diapers and one pack of baby wipes per week for the first 12 weeks.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
