When maternal mental health report cards were introduced in 2023, New Hampshire received a failing grade.
The state’s poor performance has since improved, meeting the recommended ratio for maternal mental health therapists and psychiatric provider-prescribers per birth. Momnibus 2.0, a bill signed into law last year, built off of the gains of Momnibus 1.0 to broaden postpartum care, extending Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a full year after birth.
New Hampshire’s latest report card is reflecting those incremental strides: The state scored a C, on par with the national grade. No states earned As on their report cards, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.
Heather Martin sees the report cards as a helpful benchmark for states to track their progress.
“We didn’t have the right support for it, and now we do. And now we can do something, and moms don’t have to suffer alone,” said Martin, a lead perinatal navigator for New Hampshire Mom Hub, a maternal mental health program operated by nonprofit Hope on Haven Hill.
According to Mom Hub, 40% of childbearing people experience symptoms of anxiety and depression following birth, and 75% of these cases go untreated.
The program works to empower and educate mothers on the resources available to them, bridging the gap between health providers and mothers in need. Report cards are a step in that direction, Martin said.
The report cards grade each state on 27 measures broken up into four domains: screening and detection, providers and treatment, policy and payment and parental support.
Over the past few years, New Hampshire improved on multiple fronts. The new bills expand screening options for new mothers and supports them in hiring doulas, non-medical professionals for physical and emotional support during the birthing process.
Mothers screened at Dartmouth Health Children’s Hospital have had the opportunity to see community support therapists for follow-ups, Martin said.
“It’s not always about mental health support, it’s about community support, moms not having family around, access to childcare, so many different supports,” she said.
Mom Hub is partnered with numerous organizations and refers patients to birthing hospitals, community mental health centers, family resource centers and obstetrician and pediatric centers.
Despite New Hampshire’s improvements, there are still eight unmet measures on its 2026 report card, including parental support, provider consult accessibility, screening and health plan accountability.
One of the gaps is the inconsistency of screening data. While mothers are being screened, their results may not be documented and billed properly, according to the Maternal Mental Health Gap Analysis.
The state lost two points in the parental support category, due to a lack of paid maternal leave and accessible childcare. New Hampshire has no mandated public paid parental leave program and no guaranteed 100% wage replacement for low-income families, according to the analysis.
Currently, the Granite State Paid Family Leave is a voluntary program with about 60% wage replacement up to six weeks.
Specialized treatment programs for mothers are also lacking, especially in rural areas, according to the 2026 report cards.
New Hampshire also lacks consult lines for perinatal care. A consult line would serve as a hotline for mothers to receive support and guidance from anywhere in the state. An existing hotline only provides pediatric resources.
New Hampshire is also offering services to help with full family support out of local family resource centers like Waypoint, which has locations in Manchester and Concord. Martin emphasized that these centers are not just for low-income families but for anyone in need of support.
“They do home visiting, and they’re on the front lines of supporting families where their needs are,” she said.
Adequate health care for mothers is important beyond pregnancy, she said, since symptoms can go unnoticed for long periods of time.
“All moms need support. We are all tired, we are all sleep deprived and together is how we can support each other,” she said.
