The Governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, has introduced a plan aimed at enhancing home visits from nurses for new parents and increasing postpartum mental health checks throughout the state.
Her proposal includes a $2 million investment to ensure universal access to the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Welcome Family program and an additional $250,000 to expand the Department of Mental Health’s Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms, as noted in a news release dated September 15. This initiative emerges amidst a highly charged public discussion regarding postpartum mental health, spurred by the ongoing trial of Lindsay Clancy in Massachusetts. (RELATED: Patrick Clancy Says Lindsay Never Asked Forgiveness For Killing Their Kids)
The Welcome Family program offers voluntary and complimentary home visits designed to assist parents and caregivers during the early weeks after a baby’s arrival, according to the announcement. Currently, this program serves around 3,000 births each year, based on information from Healey’s office.
The proposed funding is intended to allow every parent and caregiver during the postpartum phase throughout Massachusetts to benefit from a home visit, as mentioned in the press release.
Welcoming a baby is one of life’s greatest joys — and one of its biggest challenges.
I’m taking action so every Massachusetts family gets support from the start, including home visits from nurses, earlier screenings, and better access to care.
No new mom or family should have… pic.twitter.com/hjrsYAwmQR
— Governor Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) September 15, 2026
“Becoming a mother is a profound life change, and every parent deserves support—not just during pregnancy, but in the months that follow,” Healey stated. “Postpartum depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues related to motherhood are genuine medical concerns, and no mother should feel embarrassed to ask for help or feel that she must navigate this difficult path alone.”
“Our goal is to improve postpartum care, recognize issues sooner, and connect families with the necessary mental health support, because caring for moms means caring for the entire family,” she added.
Furthermore, DPH plans to revise state regulations to enhance screenings for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, as well as to help providers identify concerns more effectively, according to the governor’s office.
Healey’s office has yet to respond to inquiry from the Daily Caller News Foundation seeking comments.
Mass Gov Says “Everybody in the state, when you have a baby, you’re going to have a home visit — for a health care provider to ‘make an assessment.'”
UHM…WHAT?pic.twitter.com/VvxGHAZAVT
— Trish Regan (@trish_regan) September 20, 2026
Some opponents have criticized the Welcome Family program, calling it a form of excessive government intrusion.
The judge presiding over the Lindsay Clancy trial declared a mistrial on September 4 after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision, with one juror, Michael Desronvil, advocating for conviction. Clancy’s defense has argued that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis when she tragically took the lives of her three children in January 2023, as reported by NBC News .
