Baby2Baby Expands Initiative to Address the Maternal Health Crisis to 15 States in Partnership with Huggies®

Multi-million-dollar grant and three-year commitment from Huggies^® will expand the reach of Baby2Baby's program, providing critical supplies to new mothers across the country

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Baby2Baby, the national nonprofit organization that has provided over half a billion essential items to children in need across the U.S. over the past 14 years, announced the expansion of their initiative to combat the rising maternal mortality rates in the U.S. With a significant $8 million grant from Huggies^® including funds and in-kind product donations, Baby2Baby will distribute Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits in 15 states across the country.

In 2023, Baby2Baby was selected to pilot a program alongside the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to combat the maternal health crisis. After a successful pilot in three states with the highest maternal mortality and child poverty rates – Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico – the program is now expanding to fifteen states including California, New York, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia.

"We are deeply thankful to our longtime partners at Huggies^® for their unwavering support. Thanks to their extraordinary donation and three-year commitment, we will make a greater impact in the fight against maternal mortality," said Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof. "With their help, we are expanding our efforts to deliver supplies to new mothers across fifteen states, ensuring they have the basic essentials they need for themselves and their babies, especially during the already overwhelming postpartum period."

This expansion arrives at a critical moment as U.S. maternal mortality rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years, disproportionately impacting Black mothers per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The financial strain on mothers who struggle to afford essential items for their babies takes a significant toll on their physical and mental well-being – with mental health cited by the CDC as the leading cause of maternal mortality. Baby2Baby remains committed to supporting families by providing kits that include critical items for mom and baby, including diapers, wipes, hygiene products, breastfeeding supplies, postpartum care, and educational resources.

"Huggies^®' mission is grounded in providing the very best comfort and care to all babies – and parents," said Andrea Zahumensky, President of North America Baby and Child Care at Kimberly-Clark. "Partnering with an organization like Baby2Baby is an honor, and a testament to our history of providing essential support, over 300 million diapers, to the people who need them most."    

Baby2Baby and Huggies^®' continued partnership underscores their shared commitment to addressing the tragically rising maternal mortality rate across the nation. This expanded collaboration will strengthen efforts to support maternal and infant health, particularly among vulnerable communities, ensuring that more families have access to the critical resources and support they need.

About Baby2Baby:
Baby2Baby is a non-profit organization that provides children in need with diapers, formula, clothing, and the basic necessities that every child deserves, serving more than one million children across all 50 states. Led by Co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, the organization has distributed over 500 million items over the past 14 years to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care, hospitals and school districts as well as children who have lost everything in the wake of disaster. The organization's success has been propelled forward by its industry-leading model that is redefining what it means to operate a non-profit with a seamless integration of impact, innovation, and influence, which earned them recognition as the #1 non-profit on Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies List and praise from TIME Magazine as one of 2023's most influential companies. To learn more about Baby2Baby please visit www.baby2baby.org.

About Huggies®:
For more than 40 years, Huggies^® has been helping parents provide their babies with love, care, and reassurance. From developing innovative, everyday products for babies to partnering with NICU nurses to create special diapers and wipes for the most fragile babies, Huggies^® is dedicated to helping ensure that all babies get the care they need to thrive. Huggies^® is proud to be the founding sponsor of the National Diaper Bank Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals, children and families access the basic necessities they require to thrive and reach their full potential including clean, dry diapers. Huggies^® is also the national sponsor of nonprofit Hand to Hold, which provides personalized support before, during, and after NICU stays and infant loss. For more information on product offerings or our community efforts, please visit Huggies.com.  

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis
[email protected]

SOURCE Baby2Baby