New York City could soon help ease the stress of being a new parent by giving expectant mothers care packages filled with essential supplies. In October, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams launched “NYC Baby Boxes” at four of the city’s public hospitals, where more than 7,000 babies are delivered each year. The pilot program could pave the way for Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s own citywide “baby baskets” initiative, something he’d promised during his campaign, writes contributor Alexandra Lange — whose book The Design of Childhood was reissued this week with her Pulitzer-winning Bloomberg CityLab series.
Mirrored after an idea popularized by Finland, which has distributed maternity packages nationally since 1938, New York’s baby boxes (from the Adams administration) include items like diapers and rash cream for the newborn and nursing pads for the mom. The program is one of a handful of ways the city is aiming to support families amid concerns of affordability. Today on CityLab: Finnish-Style Baby Boxes Get a New York Twist