Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is proposing state investments to expand postpartum supports, including a $2 million program to fund voluntary nurse home visits and updated perinatal mental‑health screening standards, officials said Tuesday.
Proposal targets gaps in postpartum care
The initiative, announced during a visit to Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, aims to extend visits by trained nurses to roughly the 68,000 families expected to bring home newborns this year in Massachusetts. Under the plan, nurses would answer questions about feeding, sleep and newborn care while also conducting screenings for depression and other mental‑health concerns to identify families who may need further support.
"To every mom who has struggled with her mental health before, during or after pregnancy, I want you to know we see you — I see you," Healey said.
Healey also intends to direct the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to revise perinatal mental‑health screening regulations and to seek an additional $250,000 for the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms, a program that offers psychiatric consultation and resources to clinicians treating perinatal patients.
Why the move now
The proposal follows renewed public attention to postpartum mental illness after the high‑profile Lindsay Clancy case, in which Clancy said she was experiencing postpartum psychosis. State health officials cite maternal mental illness and substance use among leading causes of death for pregnant women and new mothers: the Massachusetts maternal mortality review committee reported that 38% of deaths from 2019 to 2024 were tied to mental illnesses, including substance use disorder, and concluded that 85% of those deaths were preventable.
- Program cost: $2,000,000 for expanded nurse home visits.
- Additional funding: $250,000 requested for maternal psychiatry access.
- Target reach: About 68,000 newborn families annually.
Local impact and next steps
Advocates say expanding home visits could reach families who lack access to postpartum support and create earlier detection of serious mental‑health conditions. Lawmakers must approve the funding for the plan to move forward, and the Department of Public Health will be tasked with revising screening rules if directed.
| Item | Amount / Detail |
|---|---|
| Expanded home‑visit program | $2,000,000; voluntary nurse visits for new parents |
| Child Psychiatry Access for Moms | $250,000 additional investment |
| Estimated families served | ~68,000 births per year in Massachusetts |
Officials say the visits would not only address common newborn care questions but serve as a touchpoint for screening and referral, potentially connecting mothers to counseling, medication management or substance‑use treatment earlier. For counties across the state, the proposal could shift how postpartum follow‑up is delivered, moving beyond clinic visits to in‑home support.
The governor framed the measures as both a health and public‑safety priority, emphasizing prevention and earlier intervention. Funding approval and regulatory changes will be central to whether the expanded services reach the families that advocates say need them most.
