Washington Post Blasts Newsom's 400-Diaper Program as California Budget Swells to $349 Billion
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 13
Washington Post Blasts Newsom's 400-Diaper Program as California Budget Swells to $349 Billion
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 13
The Washington Post editorial board accused Gavin Newsom of "infantilizing" parents by giving new families 400 free diapers at hospital discharge through California's new Golden State Start program.
The state says the Baby2Baby partnership is meant to ease inflation-era child-rearing costs, with Newsom casting it as part of broader support including free school meals, preschool for four-year-olds and expanded after-school programs.
The board argued those benefits are not truly free for taxpayers, pointing to California's $349 billion budget—up more than $140 billion from the $208.9 billion Newsom signed in 2019.
It tied the diaper initiative to a wider critique of Newsom's governance, saying chronic homelessness and weak schools have not improved meaningfully despite heavy spending and arguing Sacramento should lower costs by stepping back.
California's free diapers cost three times the retail price. What justifies this high taxpayer expense for the new program?
Is providing free goods like diapers a better solution for families than policies that lower the overall cost of living?