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Mommy, Me—and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the Door
Governor Healey of Massachusetts announced that for every woman in the state who has a baby will have a home visit within weeks or days.
A $2.25M expansion of an optional program called Welcome Family, the expansion will include all kinds of mental health screenings, not just post partum depression.
Here is Gov. Healey’s announcement:
What could go wrong?
First, 68,000 babies a year are estimated to be born to Massachusetts residents – that’s about 186 babies a day.
A day. 186 home visits a day – every day.
This is not a new program, but an expansion of an existing one – one called “Welcome Family”. Here is a video that explains the programs goals:
In addition to the expansion of home visits, Governor Healey announced an expansion of “screenings” – beyond postpartum depression or psychosis – and for the whole spectrum of “mental illness”.
Before we could write about this weekend announcement the home visit program is already being covered on national news – one station calls Massachusetts the “Nanny State”.
Beyond the monetary issues, which are plentiful, there is the issue of providing RNs at the tune of 186 a day. Aren’t nurses at a terrible shortage in healthcare, all over the state? Where will these nurses come from? Will they be “extra work” you can pick up on your day off – or, overtime?
What will happen when a mom looks like she is in need of services? Will the mental health system be there in a timely way? Will the child/or children stay in the home until those services are obtained? In the case of postpartum will the immediacy end up in taking the children away from the mother? Where will they go?
It’s important to know that Governor Healey is running for office and campaign time can bring out strange topics, ideas – and promises. Jumping on the Lindsay Clancy case may not have been the best look for Governor Healey who recently signed a bill, H.5595, “An Act Prioritizing Patient Access to Care”. This new law removes the specific medical restrictions on abortions at 24 weeks or later, leaving the decision to a physician’s professional judgment – literally up to the time of full gestation.
“Welcome Family” is described as a one-time nurse home visit to all caregivers with newborns. Welcome Family assesses caregiver and newborn health and well-being and provides education, support, and referrals to services as needed.
About Welcome Family
Welcome Family offered 1,620 postpartum depression screenings in 2025; 208 screened positive, and all received referrals. The announcement does not establish how many obtained treatment, how quickly, or with what results. That directly supports your concern about whether help will actually be available.
Welcome Family is a free program by an experienced maternal and child health nurse for all parents and caregivers with newborns. Welcome Family assesses caregiver and newborn health and well-being and provides education, support, and referrals to services as needed. The nurse will make sure you are feeling well, answer your questions and connect you to other resources you might need.
The Welcome Family nurse will visit within the first few weeks after the birth of your newborn. Most visits take place in your home, but if you are more comfortable meeting at a different location, that is okay too.
During your visit, the nurse will answer your questions, provide a health check for you and your newborn, and provide information and advice about:
- Calming your newborn
- Bathing, changing and taking care of your newborn
- Eating well to keep you and your newborn healthy
- Breastfeeding
- Ensuring that your home is safe
The nurse will ask questions to make sure you are doing okay. These might include:
- Are you getting enough sleep?
- Do you have the support you need from family and friends?
- Are you eating well?
- Are you feeling upset or depressed?
The nurse or another person from the Welcome Family program will call you 2-3 weeks after your visit to check back in and make sure you have been able to connect with the resources and supports you need. The Welcome Family visit, follow-up call, and support are all provided at no cost to you. While this program is for you and your newborn, other people who are helping you take care of the baby and providing you with support are welcome to attend.
Where are the Welcome Family programs in MA now?
To learn more about a Welcome Family program that serves your community, contact a program listed below.
| Program name | Lead agency | Contact information | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Family Boston | Boston Public Health Commission | Phone: (617) 534-5832
Email and online contact info: |
Boston residents |
| Welcome Family Fall River | People Inc. | Phone: (774) 627-2530
Email and online contact info: |
|
| Welcome Family Holyoke/Springfield | Criterion Child Enrichment | Phone: (413) 533-3930 Email and online contact info: |
|
| Welcome Family Lowell | Thom Child and Family Services | Phone: (978) 453-8331 ext. 1140 Email and online contact info: |
|
| Welcome Family New Bedford | Meeting Street | Phone: (508) 742-6417
Online contact info: |
|
After the program was announced, it was later clarified that the program is being offered on a voluntary basis.
If there are issues where a child is removed from the home, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families has had substantial, documented criticisms, including from Massachusetts’ own watchdog agencies. A Boston Globe investigation found that roughly 600 children a year were counted as missing from Massachusetts state custody, including about one in seven teenagers in care.
There are times when temporary removal may be justified, as in the Lindsay Clancy case, giving mom a chance to recoup, receive treatment and with support regain her children. All too often this “temporary” process, run by the state – any state – doesn’t go well and terrible stories make women hesitate to make that call for help.
Issues of Concern
- Privacy: What information does the nurse collect, where is it stored, and who can access it?
- DCF referrals: When would something observed during a visit trigger a report, and are parents told this beforehand?
- A meaningful choice: Can families decline without consequences or additional scrutiny?
- Follow-through: If a nurse identifies postpartum depression or another need, is treatment actually available?
- Priorities and cost: What does the proposed funding cover, and why expand this program while documented child protection gaps remain?
Offering help is one thing. And for those who need it talking with your OB/GYN or the hospital is a way to see what services area available. Some health insurers even offer a few visits for mommy support or lactation assistance. If you have the option, and you could use a check on your skill and instincts as a new mom, do it!
Asking families to trust the state inside their homes requires clear privacy protections, informed consent, and services that deliver.