Overview
- The program, announced Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, begins this summer with hospitals handing parents 400 diapers when they leave with their newborn.
- In year one, the state will start with about 65 to 75 hospitals that account for roughly a quarter of California births and serve many low‑income families, with plans to expand statewide.
- Officials have not yet released the hospital list, and the early focus goes to facilities with large Medi‑Cal patient loads to reach families most likely to face diaper shortages.
- California set aside $7.4 million last year and the governor has proposed $12.5 million more to operate the program through June 2027 and scale distribution beyond the initial sites.
- The state partnered with the nonprofit Baby2Baby to make and deliver the co‑labeled diapers at below‑retail cost while exploring CalRx bulk buying to pressure prices, a move framed against diaper costs rising about 45% since the pandemic and distinct from smaller Medicaid‑based efforts in Tennessee and Delaware.