Anna Kuznetsova's innovative project “Social nannies”

In Russia, various programs have been operating for several years within the framework of the National Strategy for Children. As part of one of these projects, at the end of 2017, President Vladimir Putin set the task of providing preschool education to all children under three years of age.

Every parent wants their child to develop, gain social adaptation, learn to speak faster or, for example, dress independently. Not everyone has the opportunity to attract a “free nanny” in the form of grandparents.

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It is worth noting here that the experience of other countries (in particular, France) shows that the development and support of social child care services, be it nurseries or nannies, not only contributes to an increase in the birth rate, but also provides a significant economic effect. So, for example, by sending a child to a nursery or leaving a certified nanny to take care of the child, the mother herself can go to work and improve the well-being of the family.

In our country, unfortunately, the problem of providing places for young children in preschool institutions has not been fully resolved. In particular, because providing children with nurseries requires huge sums from the budget and will negatively affect other social projects.

Given the urgency of the problem, Anna Kuznetsova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights under the President of Russia, several years ago proposed developing a system of services for the supervision and care of young children - a project of social nannies, which is not only more economically feasible, but also more flexible. Having received presidential support, this initiative began to take on real shape.

“We are talking here not only about safety, but also about the quality of life of the family as a whole, because the mother should probably have a choice: whether to stay with the child or whether there is a need to go to work. Because when I created the “Pokrov” shelter, to which mothers came with children in their arms, most of them, of course, were graduates of orphanages, and they simply had nowhere to go, they had a small child in their arms... no work, no roof over head. Now, if this program with “Social nannies” had worked then, then, probably, “Pokrov” would not have been needed, and these mothers could easily get a job,” said Anna Kuznetsova.

At the moment, the project is being implemented in several regions of Russia in test mode. It covers children from the most vulnerable categories of the population. These are mainly disabled children under three years of age. Parents simply physically cannot leave them alone, but it is in these situations that the help of a social nanny is critically important. In such cases, the nanny’s work is paid by the state. Depending on the income and situation of the family, the time spent with the child, the nanny may be paid at special rates.

“This project is now working in a number of regions of Russia, so I thank these regions. This should become a systematic and serious large state project,” noted Anna Kuznetsova.

In mid-July, having visited the Krasnodar region, the Commissioner discussed with the governor the possibility of expanding the services of social nannies to this region. At the same time, she emphasized that this measure should be an alternative to institutions with preschool education.

For Russia, this project is new and unusual. However, its importance cannot be overestimated. And this is just a small step towards the main goal - the happy future of our children.