State Programs
- Cal Fresh (previously SNAP) - CalFresh is for people with low-income who meet federal income eligibility rules and want to add to their budget to put healthy and nutritious food on the table.
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California Children’s Services (CCS) - CCS is a State program for children with certain diseases or health problems. Through this program, children up to 21 years old can get the health care and services they need.
- CCS will connect you with doctors and trained health care people who know how to care for your child with special health care needs.
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California Disability Leave and Paid Family Leave– In California, if you pay into State Disability Insurance, you can be eligible to take paid time off if you are pregnant and to bond with your newborn. To learn more about Disability Leave and Paid Family Leave, please see the resources below:
- Legal Aid at Work: Offers resource guides, support when applying to California leave programs, and legal assistance. Phone: 415-864-8848
- California Work & Family Coalition: Offers resources guides and support when applying to California leave programs. Phone: 510-473-2216
- Emergency Food Assistance Program - The Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) is a Federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost.
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Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) - Eligible WIC participants are issued FMNP coupons in addition to their regular WIC benefits.
- Coupons can be used to buy foods from farmers, farmers' markets or roadside stands.
- First 5 California ("First 5") - First 5 provides personalized support from a Family Baby Advocate or Family Support Specialist. They provide communication about treatments and procedures, as well as support groups and reflection activities.
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Medi-Cal
- Local Medi-Cal County Offices - Get help with Medi-Cal, health coverage, and other benefits.
- Medi-Cal Transportation Services
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in California - Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that provides monthly payments to people with limited income and few resources. SSI is for people who are 65 or older, as well as people of any age, including children, who are blind or have disabilities
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Women, Infants and Children (WIC) - This program helps families across the state by providing nutrition education, breastfeeding support, healthy foods and referrals to health care and other community services.
- WIC serves infants and children up to age 5 and people who are pregnant or have given birth or experienced pregnancy loss. Partners, grandparents, foster parents of young children and working families are welcome at WIC too!
Resources in California
Click on your county's 211 link then search for "diapers," "parenting," or "newborn" to look for NICU and baby care resources. We recommend trying different search terms or calling 211 directly if you cannot find what you are looking for.
Alameda County
- 211 Alameda County
- There with Care Organization - Provides a range of free resources to address the financial, physical and emotional stresses families with a critically ill child
Alpine County
Amador County
Butte County
Calaveras County
Colusa County
Contra Costa County
- Contra Costa Crisis Center
- There with Care Organization - Provides a range of free resources to address the financial, physical and emotional stresses families with a critically ill child
Del Norte County
El Dorado County
Fresno County
Glenn County
Humboldt County
Imperial County
- 211 Imperial County
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
- Rest Haven Children's Health Fund - Rest Haven provides one-time, emergency grants for children who reside in San Diego or Imperial Counties who have a health related need not covered by any other funding source, the family has an identified financial need, and no one else can help
Inyo County
Kern County
Kings County
Lake County
Lassen County
Long Beach County
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
Los Angeles County
- 211 Los Angeles County
- BreastfeedLA: BreastfeedLA is based in LA county and is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of infants and families through education, outreach, and advocacy to promote and support breastfeeding. Their resource map provides a comprehensive list of lactation and breastfeeding support services across Los Angeles county.
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
- Wayfinder Family Services - Help form connections with community-based organizations within LA and Ventura County to support families with newborns to 5 years of age
Madera County
Marin County
- 211 Bay Area (Marin County)
- There with Care Organization - Provides a range of free resources to address the financial, physical and emotional stresses families with a critically ill child
Mariposa County
Mendocino County
Merced County
Modoc County
Mono County
Monterey County
Napa County
Nevada County
Orange County
- 211 Orange County
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
- Miracle Babies - Provides access to parental support groups, maternal mental health support groups, transportation services, diapers, and care packages to Southern California families
Pasadena County
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
Placer County
Plumas County
Riverside County
- 211 Inland Southern California (Riverside County)
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
Sacramento County
San Benito County
San Bernardino County
- 211 Inland Southern California (San Bernardino County)
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
San Diego County
- 211 San Diego County
- Kaiser San Diego - NICU Support and Continuing Care Services
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
- Miracle Babies - Provides access to parental support groups, maternal mental health support groups, transportation services, diapers, and care packages to Southern California families. Special Delivery shuttle vans provide free roundtrip transportation to moms with complicated pregnancies, babies with cardiac defects, and parents with an infant in the NICU.
- Rest Haven Children's Health Fund - Rest Haven provides one-time, emergency grants for children who reside in San Diego or Imperial Counties who have a health related need not covered by any other funding source, the family has an identified financial need, and no one else can help
San Francisco County
- 211 Bay Area (San Francisco County)
- There with Care Organization - Provides a range of free resources to address the financial, physical and emotional stresses families with a critically ill child
San Joaquin County
San Luis Obispo County
- 211 San Luis Obispo County
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
San Mateo County
- 211 Bay Area (San Mateo County)
- There with Care Organization - Provides a range of free resources to address the financial, physical and emotional stresses families with a critically ill child
Santa Barbara County
- 211 Santa Barbara County
- Mighty Little Giants - Provides access to family support groups, food assistance and transportation support; primarily in southern California
Santa Clara County
- 211 Bay Area (Santa Clara County)
- Supporting Mamas - Free information and support for families experience perinatal depression or anxiety in Northern California
Santa Cruz County
Shasta County
Sierra County
Siskiyou County
Solano County
Sonoma County
Stanislaus County
Sutter County
Tehama County
Trinity County
Tulare County
Tuolumne County
Ventura County
- 211 Ventura County
- Wayfinder Family Services - Help form connections with community-based organizations within LA and Ventura County to support families with newborns to 5 years of age
Yolo County
Yuba County
Nationwide / Virtual Resources
- Alliance for Black NICU Families - Partners with NICU-related organizations to provide African American NICU mothers with breast pumps
- Articles & Books:
- Caiden’s Hope - Provides families with financial support to cover expenses related to transportation, parking, airfare, lodging and meals; social worker must contact on families’ behalf
- Express Yourself New Orleans - Express Yourself New Orleans worked directly with families in the community to create videos on Breast Pump Use and Cleaning. These multilingual videos are beneficial for all families who are considering pumping breastmilk for their baby, but especially for NICU families who may solely depend on pumping as a means of providing breastmilk to their baby.
- Food is Medicine Program - Boston, MA.
- GLO Preemies - Free resources and support for low-income African American NICU families nationwide
- Hand to Hold Organization (Español) - Free access to virtual support groups, virtual mental health therapy, parent mentors, and private Facebook group
- HealthChildren.org - Breastfeeding support.
- KellyMom Parenting: Breastfeeding
- LaLeche League - Breastfeeding support that operates in most communities
- Lyft Transportation Pilot Program - Boston, MA
- March of Dimes NICU Family Support - A resource to improve the quality of the patient and family NICU experience. Services include: education for NICU families, education for hospital staff, and resources to improve patient and family experience.
- Miracle Babies - Provides access to parental support groups, maternal mental health support groups, transportation services, diapers, and care packages to Southern California families
- National Women's Law Center - The Affordable Care Act in 2011 made coverage of lactation consulting a federal requirement for mothers from the prenatal period through weaning. This includes the cost of breast pumps. If your health plan fails to provide coverage, the National Women’s Law Center has a script to use when calling a health plan.
- NEC Society - The NEC Society is a California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building a world without necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) through research, advocacy, and education.
- NICU Helping Hands Family Assistance Program - NICU Helping Hands’ gift card program provides assistance with grocery, restaurant, and gas expenses
- NICU Parent Network (NPN) - Coalition of parent-led non-profits working to advance the needs of NICU families. Developed a NICU Parent’s Bill of Rights in 2013.
- Nursing Mother’s Council - Free breastfeeding support by phone, text, email, or video chat
- PNQIN Human Milk Initiative Educational Written Materials - Breastfeeding support
- PNQIN Human Milk Educational Videos - Breastfeeding support videos are in two languages
- Postpartum Support International - Free access to virtual support groups, medical professionals, and multi-language educational resources on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
- Project Sweet Peas - Provides access to private Facebook support group, remembrance care packages, and financial assistance to cover meals/gas expenses
- Ronald McDonald House Charities - Provides temporary lodging for families traveling long distances for their child’s medical care (only at specific locations)
- Saul's Light - Saul’s Light is a New Orleans-based nonprofit organization that provides support and community to families with babies in the NICU
- SimpliFed - Provides a virtual baby feeding and breastfeeding support service, fully covered by health plans in all 50 states
- US Department of Health and Human Services: Office on Women’s Health (OASH) - Breastfeeding support