Newswise — WASHINGTON (May 27, 2026) — Today, the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health released its 2026 Maternal Mental Health State Report Cards. Every year, about one in five moms in the U.S. experience maternal mental health conditions like postpartum depression, and most do not receive the support and treatment they need. When left untreated, these disorders can have lasting impacts on women’s well-being, family stability, and children’s development. Untreated maternal mental health disorders are estimated to cost the U.S. $14.2 billion annually. To address these gaps, the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health collaborated with the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health to create annual report cards to evaluate how each state is addressing maternal mental health and provide an overall U.S. grade. First released in 2023, this year is the fourth annual release of the Maternal Mental Health State Report Cards.
This year, state grades incrementally increased, and the U.S. earned a C (improving slightly from a C- in 2025). The two states earning Fs in 2025, Mississippi and Alabama, both earned Ds in 2026. Further, no states earned an A, and ten states earned B grades (with six states earning Bs for the first time: DC, IL, IN, LA, MA, and NY). The majority of states (26) earned Cs.
In 2026, a new “Parental Support” domain was added to the report cards, which scores states on providing paid leave and affordable, accessible childcare. Overall, the U.S. earned the equivalent of an “F” in this domain. The report cards display state effort in this domain in star ratings. States could earn up to five stars: 31 states earned less than 1 star, 14 states earned 2 or more stars, and the highest star rating was 3.5 stars (received by Maine).
“While we applaud the progress states are making, the U.S. is providing mediocre maternal mental health care at best,” said Joy Burkhard, CEO of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. “It’s critical that mothers and families have adequate paid leave and child care, which is not only necessary for families to return to work if they choose to, but for women to heal from birth, attend medical and mental health appointments.”
“Maternal mental health conditions are a leading cause of maternal mortality. The stressors stacking up on US families are contributing to the severity of these conditions,” said Caitlin Murphy, Research Scientist at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. “The Maternal Mental Health report cards serve as a guide for states to take action and provide families with the support they need and deserve.”
The 2026 Maternal Mental Health State Report Cards include 27 measures, which are divided into four key domains:
Screening/DetectionProviders and TreatmentPolicy and PaymentParental Support (New)
The 2026 Maternal Mental Health State Report Cards can be accessed here. A report summarizing the 2026 findings is available here.
The 2026 report cards were made possible by a grant from Perigee Fund.
About The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health
The Policy Center is a non-profit think tank providing data and insights as well as cross-sector policy and practice solutions to improve maternal health and prevent the suffering of mothers, babies, and families associated with untreated maternal mental health disorders, like postpartum depression.
For more information, visit www.PolicyCenterMMH.org and follow @PolicyCenterMMH on LinkedIn and X.
-GW-