Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Launches New Initiative to Support Moms and Babies in First Year After Childbirth

Promising Start program provides essential supplies to expanding families in San Diego County; helps reduce financial burden, improves mental and physical health outcomes

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan today announced its Promising Start program, designed to improve both physical and mental health outcomes for expecting parents. The program provides key newborn items and eases the financial strain of welcoming a baby into the family. It is available to Blue Shield Promise members in San Diego County in the first year of a baby's life.

Promising Start is an expansion to the nonprofit health plan's ongoing Medi-Cal Maternity Program, introducing additional services to benefit members and their newborns. As part of the program, Blue Shield Promise provides Promising Start kits full of essential supplies to members near their expected delivery dates, along with Amazon.com, Inc. vouchers to purchase diaper supplies and other essential items to support the child's first year.

"Every mother and baby deserve a strong, healthy start — and that begins with access to essential care and support during the most critical stages of parenthood and infancy," said Jennifer Schirmer, vice president of growth for Blue Shield Promise. "At Blue Shield Promise, we're deeply committed to closing healthcare gaps and delivering meaningful services to our communities. This program is more than just support — it's a lifeline for San Diego families navigating one of the most transformative times in their lives."

The initiative is designed to reduce the financial burden for families having a baby, meet the healthcare needs of members, and help fulfill Blue Shield Promise's goals to support health equity and quality by addressing healthcare gaps for parents and infants. Through this program, Blue Shield Promise promotes the importance of preventive care and encourages parents to get their baby's well-child visits scheduled, while increasing postpartum visits and maternal depression screenings among moms.

Promising Start kits

Diapers and newborn supplies are essential to the health of a new baby, and estimated at more than $80 a month, these costs can be significant. The Promising Start kits include many postpartum and newborn supplies — such as diapers, diaper-rash cream and breastfeeding pads to help offset the financial burden on members as they transition during the critical first month. Blue Shield Promise estimates more than 800 pregnant Blue Shield Promise members in San Diego County will receive their Promise Start kits in the program's first year.

This engagement touchpoint with parents during the prenatal stage also helps connect them with information on preventive care, schedule appointments for postpartum checkups and pediatrician visits, as well as provides important information on other helpful resources available.

To qualify for the Promising Start program, an individual should be:

• a current Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan member
• a resident of San Diego County
• pregnant or have given birth within the last 11 months

Diapers and baby supplies voucher program

Blue Shield Promise is also committed to supporting the journey of new parents through the baby's first year. Parents who are Blue Shield Promise members and reside in San Diego County can receive vouchers to purchase diapers and other baby supplies, sponsored by Blue Shield Promise, after completing a set of postpartum care and well-child visit milestones. The member can shop online and have supplies delivered directly through Amazon.com. They will need to have an active account with the retailer, which Blue Shield Promise can help with, to receive their shipment.

"We know diapers and other essentials are crucial for infant health and the cost can be a financial burden for some of our members," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield Promise. "We're thrilled to have an opportunity to help families by providing these essentials and creating incentives for members to get the postpartum care they need for themselves as well as their babies."

Learn more about Promising Start on the Blue Shield Promise Maternity site. Learn how Blue Shield Promise is also supporting families with baby essentials in Los Angeles County: Providing Newborn Essentials and Support to Help Local Families Start Strong. To learn more about Blue Shield Promise, visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise.

About Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal. It is led by health care professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for about 580,000 members across Los Angeles and San Diego counties. It was rated 4 out of 5 in NCQA's Medicaid Health Plan Ratings 2024. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit promisenews.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn. 

CONTACT:  Juliane Matignas
Blue Shield of California 
510-607-2359
[email protected]    

SOURCE Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan