California to provide free diapers to newborns at more than 60 hospitals
[May 09, 2026]
By SOPHIE AUSTIN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California families welcoming newborns will
soon receive hundreds of free diapers before leaving the hospital under
a 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 births in the state and largely
serve low-income patients, Newsom's office said. The initiative will
expand to more hospitals statewide, though the governor's office did not
say how many. The state has partnered with nonprofit Baby2Baby to
manufacture the diapers under the label “Golden State Start.”
Newsom said the plan builds on California's effort to make living in the
notoriously expensive state a little easier for families. He highlighted
policies in recent years to provide students with free meals at school
and make preschool free for all.
“Every baby 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 set aside $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 upcoming fiscal year ending in
June 2027.
It will allow each family to receive 400 diapers in sizes for newborns
and babies up to 14 pounds (6 kilograms) when they are discharged from a
hospital after birth. That's a little more than a month’s worth, since
newborns on average require eight to 10 diapers a day.
Baby2Baby provides families in need with essential items. The nonprofit
built a manufacturing system that allows them to produce diapers for 80%
less than the retail price, co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof said.
“California is once again setting the standard of what it means to show
up for mothers and babies,” added co-CEO Norah Weinstein.
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This photo provided by Baby2Baby shows stacks of packaged diapers
Wednesday, May 7, 2026, at Baby2Baby's Los Angeles headquarters.
(Baby2Baby via AP)
 The announcement comes two years
after Tennessee and Delaware became the first U.S. states to offer
free diapers to families enrolled in their Medicaid programs, which
provide healthcare to low-income families. Tennessee families can go
to pharmacies to pick up 100 diapers per month for children under
two. The Delaware program, which began as a pilot before the state
extended it in 2024, provides individuals with up to 80 diapers and
up to one pack of baby wipes per week in the first 12 weeks of life.
California's Medicaid system doesn't cover diapers
for newborns, but it does cover the 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 the items per child, according
to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank.
The cost burden can lead some parents to leave their child's diapers
on for too long or reuse disposable diapers, which can result in
rashes and urinary tract infections, the center says.
California officials are touting the new effort as a way to ease
that financial strain.
“The first days at home with a newborn should be focused on the
love, connection, and joy of an expanded family, not stress about
affording diapers,” said Kim Johnson, the state's health secretary.
“This program helps ensure families can begin that journey with
greater stability and peace of mind.”
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