{"id":332299,"date":"2026-05-09T05:16:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/political\/newsoms-golden-state-start-promises-400-free-diapers-per-baby-as-california-grapples-with-budget-woes.html"},"modified":"2026-05-09T05:16:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:16:56","slug":"newsoms-golden-state-start-promises-400-free-diapers-per-baby-as-california-grapples-with-budget-woes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/political\/newsoms-golden-state-start-promises-400-free-diapers-per-baby-as-california-grapples-with-budget-woes.html","title":{"rendered":"Newsom&#8217;s &#8216;Golden State Start&#8217; promises 400 free diapers per baby as California grapples with budget woes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/timesofnews.b-cdn.net\/timesofnewscdn\/usa\/089044e4_image.jpg\" alt=\"Newsom faces backlash over taxpayer-funded 'gender-affirming' care for illegal immigrants\" width=\"896\" height=\"500\" data-v-324c3b57=\"\" \/> <span class=\"overlay\" data-v-324c3b57=\"\">Video<\/span><\/a> <!--&gt; \n\n<h4 class=\"title\" data-v-324c3b57=\"\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Newsom faces backlash over taxpayer-funded 'gender-affirming' care for illegal immigrants<\/a><\/h4>\n\n \n\n<p data-v-324c3b57=\"\">Senior national correspondent William La Jeunesse reports as Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing intense scrutiny for a $12 billion Medi-Cal expansion that provides 'free' sex-change procedures, including breast implants and surgeries, to illegal immigrants.<\/p>\n\n \n\n<p class=\"speakable\">Gov. <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Gavin Newsom<\/a> is rolling out a taxpayer-backed freebie for new parents, promising hundreds of diapers for every baby born in California under a new statewide program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"speakable\">The Democrat announced Friday that the state will partner with nonprofit Baby2Baby to hand out 400 free diapers to families leaving participating hospitals, starting this summer. The initiative, dubbed \"Golden State Start,\" is being billed as a first-in-the-nation effort to ease the high cost of raising a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life,\" Newsom said in a statement, touting the plan as part of his broader push to tackle affordability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\"><strong>CALIFORNIA IS BROKE, BUT IT\u2019S NOT TOO LATE FOR THE REST OF US<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/timesofnews.b-cdn.net\/timesofnewscdn\/usa\/c05127eb_Gavin-Newsom-Diapers-01.jpeg\" alt=\"Gov. Newsom\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" \/> \n\n<p><span>Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom announced on May 8 that the state is partnering with Baby2Baby, a leading national nonprofit organization headquartered in California, to launch a first-in-the-nation program to provide free diapers to all new babies born in California.<\/span> <span>(Governor Gavin Newsom)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the program, hospitals will distribute the diapers directly to parents upon discharge. Officials said early rollout will prioritize facilities serving <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">low-income patients on Medi-Cal<\/a>, with plans to expand statewide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the program\u2019s 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\u2019s office said, according to <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The move is the latest in a string of <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">family-focused spending initiatives<\/a> from the Newsom administration, which already includes free school meals and universal preschool for 4-year-olds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Critics are likely to challenge the program's price tag, particularly as California navigates a <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">tightening fiscal environment<\/a>. Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor's office regarding the costs of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Associated Press, the state has allocated $7.4 million in last year\u2019s budget to launch the free diaper initiative, and Governor Newsom\u2019s latest proposal seeks an additional $12.5 million for implementation through the fiscal year ending in June 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, these spending goals collide with a sobering economic reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In its <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">January budget overview<\/a>, the Legislative Analyst\u2019s Office (LAO) noted that while the administration officially projected a <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">$2.9 billion deficit for 2026-27<\/a>, the long-term outlook is far more dire. The LAO warned that the state faces structural deficits ranging from $20 billion to $35 billion annually over the coming years<\/p>\n\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/timesofnews.b-cdn.net\/timesofnewscdn\/usa\/7caef079_Newsom-Diapers-Initiative-03.jpeg\" alt=\"Baby2Baby diapers\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" \/> \n\n<p><span>The state has partnered with nonprofit Baby2Baby to manufacture the diapers under the label \"Golden State Start.\"<\/span> <span>(Governor Gavin Newsom)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>State officials said that they are also looking at ways to take on major diaper brands and drive down prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baby2Baby, a <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Los Angeles<\/a>-based nonprofit that distributes supplies to children in need, will handle manufacturing and logistics for the program. The group says diaper need is widespread, with as many as one in two families struggling to afford them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\"><strong>CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICT INFORMS PARENTS PERIOD PRODUCTS ARE IN BATHROOMS FOR 'ANY STUDENT WHO MENSTRUATES'<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof praised the partnership as \"historic,\" saying it will help families during one of their most financially vulnerable moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"We are incredibly grateful to Governor Newsom for his ongoing commitment to combating diaper needs in California and could not be prouder to partner on this historic initiative that will support moms and babies at their most vulnerable time,\" Weinstein and Patricof said in a joint statement.<\/p>\n\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/timesofnews.b-cdn.net\/timesofnewscdn\/usa\/9c3663a2_Gavin-Newsom-Diapers-02.jpeg\" alt=\"Gov Gavin Newsom during press conference\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" \/> \n\n<p><span>During the program\u2019s 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.<\/span> <span>(Governor Gavin Newsom)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement comes two years after <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">Tennessee<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i>Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n\n --> <!--&gt; --><\/p>\n<p>Article source: https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/newsoms-golden-state-start-promises-400-free-diapers-per-baby-california-grapples-budget-woes<\/a>\r\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video Article source: https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/newsoms-golden-state-start-promises-400-free-diapers-per-baby-california-grapples-budget-woes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-332299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-political","tag-political"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=332299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}