What records reveal about Newsom's taxpayer-funded, California-branded free diaper program
Summary
California delayed releasing records about Governor Gavin Newsom’s diaper program that uses taxpayer money. The state gave a $6.2 million contract to the nonprofit Baby2Baby without a formal bidding process, even though other bidders offered different options that could have reduced waste.Key Facts
- California took 66 days to release 356 pages of records about the diaper program.
- The state awarded Baby2Baby a $6.2 million contract without a competitive bid, using a budget exemption.
- Baby2Baby’s plan gives families 400 diapers in only newborn and size 1, with no returns or exchanges if sizes don’t fit.
- Another finalist, SupplyBank.org, offered more diapers, more sizes, and a direct-to-consumer delivery option.
- The state’s own records show mixed information about how many organizations responded to the request for information.
- Amazon proposed a voucher system for families to choose sizes and make returns but was not included in final comparisons.
- The contract includes language requiring mutual approval of communications and that oversight committee meetings are not public.
- The diaper manufacturer, kept confidential during selection, is located in Mexico.
- Lawmakers renewed the diaper program and its exemption from usual contract rules for a second year despite transparency concerns.
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