What you need to know: California was named the nation's leading state for maternal mental health support in a recent report by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.

SACRAMENTO - California continues to lead the country in supporting maternal mental health, with the state recently receiving the highest score in the U.S. from the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. This outcome is the product of a multitude of efforts and the state's prioritization of maternal mental healthcare, an issue too often left without proper attention.

The report graded California on criteria such as:

• Medi-Cal requiring Managed Care Organizations to report "prenatal depression screening" and "postpartum depression screening" according to the HEDIS measure, for which the state was a top performer in the country on these scales
• California meeting the ratio of community-based organizations providing direct service for maternal mental health
• California extending Medi-Cal coverage to one year postpartum
• California's state-sanctioned maternal mental health task force

"California has led the nation in recognizing that supporting mothers' mental health is essential to building healthier families and stronger communities. Pregnancy and the months that follow can be some of the most important and challenging moments in a family's life. We want every mother to know she's supported, cared for, and connected to the resources she needs - for her own well-being and for the healthy start every baby deserves."

Governor Gavin Newsom

"Sometimes the hardest part of becoming a parent is how isolating and overwhelming it can feel. While there is still work to do to reach even more mothers, we are proud of the Golden State for showing what's possible when we treat maternal mental health as a priority - leading with care and compassion to uplift an issue that is deeply urgent and preventable."

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Addressing the perinatal mental health crisis

In April 2026, First Partner Siebel Newsom, alongside California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos and the California Perinatal Wellness Alliance, convened statewide leaders to discuss how California can build on its leadership and strengthen the current landscape of maternal mental health services - more specifically perinatal wellness - which encompasses care during and up to two years after childbirth. As perinatal mental health affects one in three California women, California continues to collaborate with state agencies, health care systems, advocacy organizations, and parents to support healthy pregnancy and childbirth experience for California families.

The convening took place at El Camino Health in Mountain View - 1 of only 5 perinatal inpatient psychiatric units in the entire country - underscoring California's commitment to maternal health care yet revealing the limited resources available for mothers nationwide.

California sets the standard

Governor Newsom, in partnership with the Legislature, continues to set the standard in improving access to perinatal mental health services. Over the last few years, California has achieved the lowest maternal mortality rate in the country. This is a result of California's investment in maternal health, yet the work continues for California families.

Governor Newsom signed AB 2319 (Wilson, 2024), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at reducing disparities in maternal and infant healthcare outcomes by expanding and strengthening implicit bias training for healthcare providers in California.

Also, in September 2024, Governor Newsom proclaimed Strong Start and Beyond Day as the California Surgeon-General launched Strong Start and Beyond, an initiative to reduce California's maternal mortality by 50% by December 2026. This also includes a California Maternal Health Blueprint to raise awareness of the maternal health crisis and leading causes of pregnancy related death.

In March 2024, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) launched the Birthing Care Pathway, a comprehensive policy and care model roadmap to cover the journey of all pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members from conception through 12 months postpartum. The Birthing Care Pathway is being developed to be a strategic roadmap for state entities, managed care plans, counties, providers, social service entities, philanthropy, and other key partners in providing services to pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members.

Governor Newsom also signed SB 65 (Skinner, 2021), the California Momnibus Act, designed to improve maternal and infant outcomes - particularly for families of color.

In 2022, California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) received $1M to implement the Midwifery Workforce Training Act aimed at expanding the midwifery workforce and addressing the racial disparities in maternal and fetal health outcomes. With only 1,400 perinatal mental health-certified professionals across the state, the Song-Brown midwifery programs aim to create new Certified Nurse Midwifery and Licensed Midwifery training programs. The Song-Brown midwifery program is also expanding existing programs that focus on training a diverse workforce in underserved communities.

Under DHCS, the Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP) is a Medi-Cal benefit that provides a set of services from conception through 60 days postpartum, including obstetric services; psychosocial assessment(s) and referrals to counseling, if needed; nutrition assessment(s) and referral to counseling on food supplement programs, vitamins, and breastfeeding, if needed; health, childbirth, and parenting education; and care coordination.