Press Release  Governor Healey Announces New Actions to Strengthen Maternal Mental Health and Postpartum Care

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey today announced new measures to strengthen postpartum care and mental health support for mothers and families across Massachusetts, with a focus on reaching people earlier, making support easier to access and helping providers connect patients to care when they need it.

Governor Healey is proposing $2 million to provide universal access to the Department of Public Health’s Welcome Family home visiting program statewide and $250,000 to strengthen the Department of Mental Health’s Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms, known as MCPAP for Moms. The funding will be included in an upcoming supplemental budget. DPH will also update state regulations to strengthen screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and help providers identify concerns earlier.

“Becoming a mother is a profound life change, and every parent deserves support—not just during pregnancy, but in the months that follow,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Postpartum depression, anxiety and other maternal mental health conditions are real medical conditions, and no mother should feel ashamed to ask for help or feel like she has to navigate this journey alone. We’re working to expand postpartum care, identify concerns earlier and connect families to the mental health support they need, because taking care of moms means taking care of the whole family.” 

“We’re strengthening the system around new parents so that no matter where they turn for care, there’s someone who knows what to look for and how to help,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By expanding home visits, improving screening and giving providers more tools, we can help mothers get connected to the care they need sooner and closer to home.”

“It’s hard to emphasize how crucial the first few months of life are, for a child, a family and for the community. Massachusetts has some of the best maternal health outcomes in the country, but there’s more work to be done to make sure families are connected to the services they need, and feel concretely the supportive love of their community,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Kiame Mahaniah. “Under Governor Healey’s leadership, the Department of Mental Health and Department of Public Health will now be able to expand their reach, help more moms, and make sure every parent knows they are not alone in confronting the many challenges of early parenthood.”

Expanding Postpartum Support at Home

Governor Healey is proposing $2 million to expand Welcome Family, a voluntary and free home visiting program that supports parents and caregivers in the weeks after a baby is born.

Welcome Family currently serves approximately 3,000 births each year. The additional funding would give every parent and caregiver in the postpartum period across the state the opportunity to have a home visit, following Massachusetts’ approximately 68,000 annual births.

Through the program, an experienced maternal and child health nurse visits a family’s home following the birth of a child to check on both the caregiver and baby, answer questions and connect the family with additional support when needed. The service is available regardless of age, income or other eligibility criteria.

During a visit, nurses can help with breastfeeding and newborn care, screen for mental health concerns and substance use, connect families with health care and social supports, and provide referrals for needs including domestic violence, food access and other community resources. Nurses follow up with caregivers by phone two to three weeks later to make sure they were able to connect with services, address barriers and provide additional support.

In 2025, Welcome Family offered 1,620 postpartum depression screenings. Of those, 208 screened positive, and every person who screened positive received a referral to services.

Helping Providers Recognize Concerns Earlier

Governor Healey is also proposing $250,000 to strengthen MCPAP for Moms, a Department of Mental Health program that helps health care providers prevent, identify and treat mental health and substance use concerns during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

MCPAP for Moms gives obstetricians, pediatricians, primary care providers, psychiatrists and other clinicians real-time access to specialists in perinatal mental health, along with care coordination and training.

The additional funding would allow the program to:

• Track postpartum psychosis data across Massachusetts to improve understanding and clinical response;
• Create a clinical education team to help mental health providers recognize and manage perinatal behavioral health concerns; and
• Expand education for mothers, families and providers about the early warning signs of postpartum psychosis and when to seek help.

The goal is to make sure providers are better equipped to recognize serious concerns and help mothers get connected to appropriate care as quickly as possible.

Strengthening Screening and Connections to Care

DPH will also take steps to strengthen mental health screening during pregnancy and after a baby is born, so that concerns can be identified earlier and families can get help sooner.

Right now, state regulations are largely focused on postpartum depression. The updated regulations will reflect the broader range of mental health conditions that can affect people during pregnancy and after giving birth, including anxiety and other serious conditions. They will also create more opportunities for screening across different points of care.

This means a mother will have more chances to be asked how she is doing, whether she is seeing her OB-GYN, primary care provider, pediatrician or another health care professional. The goal is to make sure warning signs are not missed and that, when someone is struggling, their provider knows how to connect them with the right care.

DPH will also issue updated guidance to health care providers on what to look for, how to respond when there are concerns and how to connect patients with treatment and support.

The actions announced today also build on Governor Healey’s broader work to improve maternal health and strengthen support for families. Since taking office, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has extended continuous MassHealth coverage through 12 months postpartum, expanded access to doula services, strengthened postpartum mental health screening requirements and supported health care providers through MCPAP for Moms.

Together, these efforts are focused on making sure mothers are supported throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the months that follow, and that families know where to turn when they need help.

If you - or a loved one - is struggling, you can be connected to immediate, free, and confidential mental health support in Massachusetts by contacting the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line at 833-773-2445.
 

Statements of Support:

Blair J. Wylie, MD, MPH, Chair, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology:

"We are thankful for the commitment from Governor Healey and her administration to strengthen supports for new parents. Post-partum health is so important for our patients, including making sure they have the opportunity to connect with other new parents. At BIDMC, we are privileged to care for women throughout all stages of their pregnancy, including supporting them in their postpartum health journey.  We appreciate the Administration's work to highlight this crucial issue."  

Leigh Simons, Vice President of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA):

“While the arrival of a child is often a joyous occasion, it also comes with a range of very real medical and behavioral health needs for birthing people. That is why our hospitals and health systems are grateful for the Healey-Driscoll administration’s continued focus on postpartum support, which builds on years of collaborative work between local policymakers and healthcare providers to connect parents with the resources they deserve. MHA members, with the support of state leaders, are proud to be investing in services that extend care into patients’ homes, strengthen the role of clinical team members like midwives and doulas, and accommodate the unique journey of every birthing person.”

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