The Massachusetts Postpartum Initiative, the Plastics Research Council, and Desist, Detrans & Detox

About this episode

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has ignited a national debate by expanding a taxpayer-funded program that sends registered nurses into the homes of families shortly after the birth of a child. Healey says the voluntary visits will allow healthcare providers to assess mothers and newborns, screen for postpartum mental-health concerns, and connect families with additional services. Massachusetts is committing $2.25 million to the broader postpartum initiative. But what begins as a voluntary program in one state could quickly become a national public-health model. Katie Asher, a writer, researcher, and mother whose memoir, "The Book of Heaven: A Story of Hope for the Outcasts, the Broken, and…