Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration says California will begin providing 400 free diapers to families of newborns discharged from participating hospitals under a new partnership with the nonprofit Baby2Baby.
California is launching a statewide initiative, known as Golden State Start, to provide families with 400 diapers when they leave the hospital with a newborn, according to the governor’s office.
The program is scheduled to begin this summer at participating hospitals. State officials and the Associated Press reported that the first-year rollout is expected to be limited to roughly 65 to 75 hospitals, with an expansion planned to additional hospitals later; the administration has not publicly specified how many hospitals will ultimately participate.
Funding details described in state budget materials and in reporting on the plan indicate the state set aside $7.4 million to roll out the initiative and the governor’s latest budget proposal includes $12.5 million more for implementation in the following fiscal year.
The state’s announcement says it is partnering with Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, to produce and distribute the diapers through hospital discharge programs. Separately, The Daily Wire highlighted that Baby2Baby co-CEO Norah Weinstein serves on the board of California Partners Project, an initiative associated with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.