Washington Post Slams Newsom's Free Diaper Program as Nanny State Excess

California Gov. Gavin Newsom drew fire from The Washington Post editorial board on Tuesday. The board accused him of infantilizing parents through a new taxpayer-funded diaper program for newborns, calling it the latest sign of a growing nanny state under his leadership.

Newsom, who is preparing a 2028 presidential bid, seems determined to build a cradle-to-grave social welfare state, the board wrote. It critiqued the program as part of a broader push to provide free services through much of childhood.

The initiative partners with the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Baby2Baby. It will give 400 free diapers to new parents upon hospital discharge, aiming to ease costs amid inflation.

The board pointed to free school meals, free preschool and expanded free after-school programs as further evidence of the trend. Yet none of this is actually free for California taxpayers, it said.

California's latest budget totals $349 billion, more than $140 billion above the $208.9 billion Newsom first signed in 2019.

In a statement, Newsom highlighted family-raising costs. "California is taking on the cost of raising a family head-on — delivering free school meals, making preschool free for every four-year-old, expanding after-school programs, and now making sure parents leave the hospital with the basics their newborn needs," he said.

"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," the governor added.

Fox News Digital contacted Newsom's press office for comment on the editorial but received no immediate response.

The Washington Post dug into other Golden State problems, citing chronic homelessness and abysmal schools. It said neither has improved meaningfully despite huge spending.

If there really is a diaper crisis in California, there's no guarantee that a government program would solve it, the board said. Well-meaning philanthropists would no doubt be more effective. It also noted regulatory moves like a plastic bag ban and zero-emissions car mandates by 2035 that have raised costs for most Californians.