California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week announced a new program to provide 40 million free diapers to families with newborns in California.
Some say the new Golden State Start program is masking Newsom’s efforts to gain funds for personal use.
What is the Golden State Start program?
Newsom is partnering with Baby2Baby, a national nonprofit headquartered in California, to provide diapers to the families of newborn babies with limited income and resources.
“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,” Newsom said in a press release.
Participating hospitals will provide families with diapers at their time of discharge, “ensuring parents leave the hospital with a supply of high-quality diapers,” according to the California Health & Human Services.
The program will prioritize hospitals that serve large numbers of Medi-Cal patients — residents who receive free or low-cost healthcare coverage through the state’s medical program.
The cost of diapers is part of a larger affordability crisis
This initiative comes in response to growing affordability issues nationwide, especially for young families.
Among families with young children, 1 in 2 struggle to afford diapers, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. Inadequate diaper supply leaves babies more vulnerable to urinary tract infections and painful rashes.
This year alone, Baby2Baby reports 1.9 billion requests for diapers from families across the country. California’s first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom said the GSS program will help address this growing need.
“Golden State Start will deliver immediate relief, allowing parents to focus on what matters most — caring for their newborn,” she said in a press release. “Together with Baby2Baby, we can ease the financial burden on California parents while supporting healthier outcomes for babies and their mothers.”
Why do some claim the program is masking fraud?
Shortly after Newsom announced the GSS program, Steve Hilton, a 2026 Republican candidate for California Governor, called the program a “ridiculous bureaucratic scheme.”
Hilton posted a video on social media accusing Newsom of using the GSS program to collect funds for personal gain.
Hilton noted that the $20 million allotted for the program, combining the $7.4 million approved in California’s 2025 General Fund and the $12.5 million asked for in the 2026 General Fund, means each of the 40 million diapers planned for distribution are costing taxpayers 50 cents each, as opposed to the 12-30 cent average for retail bulk prices.
“Why is it three times more expensive for Gavin Newsom to send diapers to 100,000 babies than just leaving the money in the bank accounts of the parents in the first place? Because, it’s going to some total (expletive) nonprofit which the cronies of his are going to make money, and that is what is wrong with California,” Hilton said in a video on X. The video ends with a screen that says “Steve Hilton for Governor.”
Kelly Sawyer, one of the co-CEO’s of Baby2Baby, is married to Jamie Patricof, who has contributed funds to several Democratic campaigns and platforms. These platforms include the Democratic National Committee Services Corporation, the PAC for America’s Future and several individual Democratic candidates.
Newsom’s press office responded to Hilton’s claims in a post on X, saying these claims were false and each diaper is only costing 15.5 cents.
Newsom said the future of the GSS program is dependent on funding approved by the state legislature. The $12.5 million allotted for the program in the 2026 proposed budget is waiting approval by state lawmakers, who are working to close a $3 billion deficit in the budget.
Though Newsom says the program will distribute 40 million diapers this year, he hopes to expand to 80 million diapers, and ultimately reach 160 million in the future. The program is set to begin this summer.