Summary:
“I need to be ok for my baby at the end of the day; it’s all about baby, baby, baby…. if mom is not ok, everything will crumble.” – Louisiana Mom, Newborn Supply Kit Recipient
Top Findings:
- High Satisfaction: 97% of recipients were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their Kit and would recommend it to other new parents.
- Reduced Anxiety and Financial Stress: Two-thirds of respondents felt less anxious and worried after receiving the Kit, with this number rising to 72% among those with moderate to severe depression symptoms. Additionally, 66% reported that the Kit helped reduce financial stress, increasing to 77% among lower-income recipients.
- Increased Trust in Government and Resource Connections: Positive trust in government more than doubled after receiving the Kit. Additionally, 36% of recipients, particularly nearly 70% of Spanish speakers, applied for additional government benefits based on the information provided in the Kit.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final evaluation results for the 2023 pilot of the Newborn Supply Kit program, demonstrating that providing critical supplies during the vulnerable postpartum period can have a big impact on families’ experiences.
In May 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris launched the Newborn Supply Kit program, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Baby2Baby, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides children across the nation with diapers, clothing, and other basic necessities.
The Newborn Supply Kit program delivers high-quality goods and resources to parents when they have a new baby, such as diapers and wipes, as well as supplies to help a new mother in recovery from childbirth and to support breastfeeding. The Kit also includes government resources to connect parents to benefits for which they might qualify. The Newborn Supply Kit program is modeled on similar programs found in over 90 other countries or localities around the world, including similar “baby boxes” in Finland and Scotland.
New Families Appreciate the Newborn Supply Kit
“This is an incredible and life-changing Kit for so many families in a state where many people are struggling or worried about having the resources to care for their baby.” – New Mexico Mom, Evaluation Feedback
Nearly all parents were thrilled with both the concept of and contents in the Newborn Supply Kit and encouraged the continuation of the pilot program. Nearly all (97%) of survey respondents, reported being “extremely satisfied” or “satisfied” with their Newborn Supply Kit. Similarly, 98% of respondents reported that they would recommend that other new parents receive a Newborn Supply Kit.
Receipt of a Newborn Supply Kit Reduced Anxiety and Worry
“It saved me the anxiety and worry to [have to] run to the store for diapers or wipes in my first two weeks of recovery.” – New Mexico Mom, Evaluation Feedback
One of the main goals of the Newborn Supply Kit program is to ease maternal anxiety during the immediate postpartum period. Recipients overwhelmingly reported that receiving the Kit reduced their overall anxiety and worry.
Two-thirds (66%) of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that receiving their Newborn Supply Kit helped to make them feel less anxious or worried. These findings were even stronger among the group of respondents who self-reported moderate to severe depression symptoms, with nearly three-quarters (72%) agreeing or strongly agreeing that the Kit helped them to feel less anxious or worried.
Black or African American respondents and Hispanic respondents were nearly twice as likely as their White/Caucasian counterparts to say that they “strongly agreed” that the Newborn Supply Kit helped them to feel less anxious or worried.
The Newborn Supply Kit Reduces Financial Stress, Especially for Recipients with Lower Incomes
“You don’t know about all the little things until you don’t have the resources or money to get it… just diapers and wipes adds up… [I] didn’t know how much things cost until I didn’t have the money to afford it.” – Louisiana Mom, Newborn Supply Kit Recipient
Our evaluation found that 60% of Kit recipients reported moderate to high stress about money – a finding that aligns with national research on financial pressures faced by new parents. Nearly one-third of the recipients of the Newborn Supply Kit had a household income of less than $20,000 per year. Lower-income recipients reported higher stress levels than their higher-earning peers. Among lower-income recipients, 77% said the Newborn Supply Kit helped them to feel less stressed about money, compared to 66% of all recipients. This trend was particularly strong among Spanish-speaking respondents, with 73% reporting reduced financial stress.
Distribution of Newborn Supply Kits Increased Trust in Government
“This whole kit is amazing, and I love that it’s been started. The U.S. has been behind other countries in supporting parents after birth, so I'm glad to see something like this. Please keep it up and spread it further. Our parents need this support.” – Arkansas Mom, Evaluation Feedback
“Seeing all this will make you feel good about government.” – Louisiana Mom, Newborn Supply Kit Recipient
As part of a larger customer experience initiative launched in December 2021 by President Biden, aimed at improving the experience that individuals and families have accessing and utilizing federal services and benefits during key life stages, one of the major goals of the Newborn Supply Kit program is to build trust in government and form a foundation of relationships for further service connections by providing support to families during one of the most significant periods of their lives – the birth of a child.
Receipt of a Newborn Supply Kit increased recipients’ self-reported trust in government. Answering for “before” they received their Kit, respondents reported on average a 31% positive rating in HHS. Trust scores after they received their Kit jumped to a 68% positive rating, more than doubling participant self-reported positive ratings of trust in government.
For all demographic groups (based on characteristics such as race, income, etc.) trust in government either increased or stayed the same across their before and after scores; for none of the groups in this sub-analysis did government trust scores decrease.
The Newborn Supply Kit Could Close Federal Benefits Information and Enrollment Gaps
Previous research shows that many safety net programs designed to support families, including Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), have gaps in participation and enrollment among eligible families. To address this, our Newborn Supply Kit includes information on how to enroll in government programs such as health coverage (Medicaid and CHIP), food assistance (WIC and SNAP), and cash assistance (TANF). All materials are written in plain language and translated into English and Spanish.
The majority (77%) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the HHS flyer provided in their Kit outlining these additional resources and new family supports was helpful to them.
We also found that over one-third (36%) of respondents said that they applied for additional government benefits because of the information in the Newborn Supply Kit. This trend was especially strong among Spanish-speaking respondents with nearly 70% reporting applying to programs that they may be eligible to receive.
Kit Distribution Timing and Contents Received Positive Feedback
“It came at just the right time with things I needed that I really didn’t have time to go out and buy as I had just brought home a newborn.” – New Mexico Mom, Evaluation Feedback
“[The best part about receiving the Newborn Supply Kit was] that the Kit included support and care products for me. The mother is often overlooked after childbirth, and it was relieving to have products that supported my recovery after leaving the hospital.” – Louisiana Mom, Evaluation Feedback
“Love the carrier. It comes in handy every day.” – Arkansas Mom, Evaluation Feedback
During the initial pilot period, we also wanted to assess the optimal timing for new parents to receive the Kit, what messengers are best for Kit delivery, and what basic supplies are most needed or wanted by the families who receive Kits.
Eighty-three percent (83%) said the Kit came at just the right time for them, with the majority receiving the Kit at the hospital at the time of delivery. When asked about their favorite and most used items in the Kits, 40% of respondents said “all of them” with the top five items being diapers, wipes, the baby carrier, postpartum maternity pads, and Vitamin D3 drops.
Continuing the Newborn Supply Kit Program in 2024
“I love this program and will advocate for it to anyone, anywhere to have it extended and expanded.” – University of New Mexico Hospital, Distribution Partner
In Spring 2024, HHS and Baby2Baby announced a three-fold expansion of the Newborn Supply Kit program made possible through a sponsorship from Huggies to Baby2Baby. HHS and Baby2Baby will now deliver 10,000 Kits across 10 states in high-need areas, including in: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, and Texas.
The Newborn Supply Kit team looks forward to continuing to iterate and learn from this ongoing and expanding pilot to continue to scale the program effectively and sustainably and demonstrate impacts for new families across the United States.
About the Newborn Supply Kit Pilot Program and Our Evaluation Approach
The Newborn Supply Kits were co-designed with families to address the need for basic items for both the new baby and the recovering mother. During the 2023 pilot phase, 3,000 Kits were delivered to families in high-need communities across Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico—states chosen for their high rates of maternal mortality, postpartum depression, poverty, and social vulnerability. The team partnered with local hospitals and community-based organizations to distribute the Kits to new parents at the time of birth.
Parents who received a Newborn Supply Kit were then able to opt-in to a short survey which asked questions related to maternal and financial stress, trust in government, and the overall experience of receiving a Newborn Supply Kit, including Kit contents and government resources. In total, 2,077 surveys were sent (approximately 80% of Kit recipients consented to receive the survey) and 30% of those parents responded to the survey (N=626 participants).
To learn more about the Newborn Supply Kit evaluation results, please read the full report.
If you have questions about the Newborn Supply Kit program, contact partnerwithus@hhs.gov.
