Good+Foundation Gears Up for 25th Anniversary with Big Initiatives for NYC Families
For over twenty years, Good+Foundation has been quietly changing the way we tackle family poverty in the United States by combining essentials like diapers and strollers with long-term support for both kids and their caregivers. Founded in 2001 by Jessica Seinfeld under its original name, Baby Buggy, the nonprofit has evolved into a national leader, collaborating with over 120 community-based partners and distributing millions of dollars in essential goods and direct assistance to families in need.
At the core of the work is a bold, two-generation approach: support parents, especially dads, as active co-parents and providers, and kids have a better shot at thriving. From pushing for smarter child support policies to hosting dad-friendly events like the Daddy Stroll, Good+ is shaking up how we think about poverty solutions.
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We caught up with Dr. Laurel Parker West, Chief Program & Operations Officer, to talk about what’s coming in 2025, how family needs are evolving, and what keeps her motivated. With its 25th anniversary on the horizon, Good+ Foundation is focused on growing its impact, deepening local connections, and making sure no family gets left behind.
What’s coming up for Good+Foundation in the second half of the year? Are there any exciting plans you can share?
On the heels of our most recent event—the Daddy Stroll in New York City, which celebrated the everyday magic of fatherhood—coming up this August, we’ll host our annual Hamptons Summer Dinner + Night of Comedy, an important fundraising event that enables us to deliver essentials to families across the greater New York area, meeting urgent needs with dignity and care.
We’re thrilled to also be gearing up for Good+Foundation’s 25th anniversary, which kicks off later this year. This will serve as a moment to reflect on our quarter-century impact on child and family welfare, as well as to share our vision for the future.
We’ve grown and evolved significantly since our founding by Jessica Seinfeld in 2001. Originally, we existed to help families access the items they need to raise happy, healthy, and safe children. What began with essentials like strollers, baby gear, and clothing has grown into a national organization that pairs tangible goods with services to support the whole family.
Today, our work is grounded in a two-generation approach — supporting both children and their parents or caregivers together. Through strong partnerships with community-based organizations, we provide not only the items families need but also access to services like parenting support, job training, and fatherhood programs. Jessica remains actively involved in our work, and our focus continues to evolve in step with the needs of the families we serve.
Are there any new programs or partnerships on the horizon that families should know about?
Yes, we’re excited to expand our work through existing and evolving partnerships that directly benefit families. For example, we’re strengthening our collaboration with a wonderful group of nonprofits around
New York State, through the National Diaper Bank Network, aims to raise greater awareness of diaper insecurity—a critical but often overlooked issue affecting over half of American families. This partnership has resulted in state funding for the members of our coalition that will allow us to reach more families in urgent need of essential supplies like diapers and wipes.
We’re also deepening our relationship with longtime partners like Nordstrom. Together, we co-host an annual holiday breakfast in New York City for Good+ families that not only raises awareness of the unique challenges families face during the holiday season but also highlights how partnerships between community organizations and corporations can provide consistent support to build more stable futures for children and caregivers.
Looking ahead, we plan to build upon these partnerships to deliver more resources and advocacy for families facing economic hardship.
How are you seeing the needs of families shift lately, and how is Good+Foundation responding?
We’re seeing a growing number of families across the country struggling to access basic child care necessities, leading to barriers that can deepen the cycle of poverty. After all, families can’t begin to thrive without their most fundamental needs being met.
With the rising cost of living placing even more strain on households, we’ve had to be increasingly strategic in our partnerships to ensure we’re delivering what families need to build a stable foundation. We’ve also seen a rise in urgent, quick-turnaround requests where families need essentials within 24 hours due to unsafe or unstable housing situations. When that happens, our team acts fast—even if it means making a Target run ourselves—because meeting a family’s immediate needs does more than provide short-term relief. It sets the stage for long-term success.
Have there been any changes in how you’re working with local community partners here in NYC?
Yes—while collaboration has always been at the core of our model, we’ve deepened and refined how we work with local partners in response to evolving family needs and rising costs of living. Our approach has become even more relationship-driven. Our team members who manage monthly goods distribution now play an increasingly strategic role—not just coordinating logistics, but acting as trusted liaisons who understand each partner’s unique needs. That means we’re able to respond more quickly, adjust more precisely, and ensure the support we’re providing is truly effective.
What hasn’t changed is our commitment to high-quality partnerships. Every family we support is enrolled in a high-impact program that offers incredible resources to incentivize parental participation, and we continue to invest in those relationships because they’re essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. It’s never just, “This is where we get cribs and strollers.” It’s, “This is where we feel supported.”
What kind of impact are you hoping to make with these upcoming initiatives by the end of the year?
At the ground level, we know we must continue to meet families’ most urgent needs— whether that’s delivering essentials like diapers, cribs, and strollers, or distributing Family Cash Grants to help families cover rent, groceries, childcare, or medical bills. These interventions are designed not just to ease immediate burdens, but to lay the groundwork for long-term stability.
We will also continue to work with the various systems that impact Good+ families to ensure that they are also receiving the long-term, two-generation services they need to achieve greater economic security. We have had a lot of success in working in the child welfare space and aim to elevate underrepresented voices in this system, particularly in terms of including fathers, father figures, and paternal relatives in the care and support of children.
A more inclusive approach to family support is essential, and we’re committed to advancing advocacy and policy that reflect the full family dynamic. Ultimately, the impact we’re striving for is clear: to break the cycle of child poverty by ensuring families have the resources, support, and opportunities they need to build stronger, more resilient futures.
As a mom, what are some of your favorite places in New York City to go with the kids?
My two daughters have had the privilege of growing up in NYC, and we try to take full advantage of being in one of the arts and culture capitals of the world. The Guggenheim is a family favorite, and we constantly try for, and are somewhat successful, in securing lottery or rush tickets for Broadway shows. We currently live in Harlem and spend a lot of time wandering along the northern paths in Central Park, but our favorite place to visit when the girls were younger was the Panorama of the City of New York at the Queens Museum when we lived in Kew Gardens.
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