BOSTON (WHDH) - Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey Tuesday announced new measures to strengthen postpartum care and mental health support for mothers and families across the state, with a focus on reaching people who may need help earlier.
Healey is proposing $2 million, included in an upcoming supplemental budget, 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 (MCPAP for Moms).
The Department of Public Health will also update state regulations to strengthen screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, to help providers identify concerns as early as possible, Healey said.
The announcement comes following the high-profile Lindsay Clancy case, which ended in a mistrial earlier this month.
Clancy is accused of strangling and killing her three young children at their home in Duxbury in 2023 before she tried to take her own life. Her defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of the murders, and throughout the trial, criticized the care Clancy received following the birth of her third child.
“There are still too many gaps in the system, too many challenges in trying to navigate a system, and too many new parents who are struggling,” Healey said Tuesday, surrounded by mothers and maternal health experts from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “Postpartum depression and challenges is nothing new – this is as old as time. But there’s been a renewed discussion and focus on that.”
The Department of Public Health’s Welcome Family home visiting program currently offers free at-home care from a nurse to 3,000 Massachusetts families. During the visits, nurses answer any questions and provide advice on everything from breastfeeding, to bathing, and checking in on the mother’s mental health. The service is available regardless of age, income, or other eligibility criteria.
Healey said the additional funding would allow the program to expand to 68,000 families, the estimated amount of births in Massachusetts per year.
“We’re making sure that every new parent in Massachusetts can receive a home health visit from a nurse within the first few weeks of giving birth,” Healey said.
“We are thankful for the commitment from Governor Healey and her administration to strengthen supports for new parents,” said Blair Wylie, MD, MPH, Chair of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “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.”
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