Hat tip to Besha for posting a link to this article on Finnish maternity boxes, which the government provides for all expectant mothers who want one. Aside from providing a jumping-off point for mothers to provision up for their baby's arrival, it also allows the government to promote healthy/positive parenting behaviors, like placing the baby in the box for sleeping instead of in the parental bed. I'm sure it's not cheap, but 75 years in it seems to have been hugely successful in lowering infant mortality rates and, I'm sure, also lowering parental anxiety levels. If you can afford a fancy crib, great; buy yourself one. But if you can't, the cardboard box works just fine, and you've got a mattress, clothes, and other supplies to boot. It also serves to funnel people into the national healthcare system.
I'm sure if the government tried to implement this here in the US there would be wingnuts railing against it, but it seems like an elegant solution to me. Hell, I'd be in for an adult starter kit, if it existed. I'm still trying to figure out how to sew on lost buttons over here.
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