Opening the meeting, Maria Lvova-Belova noted that since the beginning of 2025, the Office of the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights had received over 8,000 requests from citizens, including 331 requests that concern families with children with disabilities. They are being addressed jointly with regional authorities and children’s rights commissioners in the regions in close coordination with civil society agencies and institutions.
The meeting participants held an in-depth discussion of the Support through Life strategic programme, which is being implemented in 70 Russian regions in four spheres: Day Care Centres, Diagnostic Communication Protocol, Assisted Living, and Mental Health.
The Children’s Rights Commissioner gave a detailed report on day care centres where children with disabilities could receive the necessary assistance. To date, 41 such centres have opened with the support from the institute of the children’s rights commissioners, and another 24 are to open by the end of the year. Assistance has been provided to 5,000 families. Particular attention is being paid to the choice of personnel, and annual training platforms are being organised.
The Diagnostic Communication Protocol is being implemented in 47 regions. Maria Lvova-Belova stated that the training of relevant professionals was underway. Last year, the Healthcare Ministry published an online video course on medical ethics, prepared by the Office of the Children’s Rights Commissioner, on the website for continuing medical education, following which nearly 3,500 doctors passed assessment tests.
Maria Lvova-Belova also spoke about the Assisted Living programme, which is being implemented in four regions. It embraces 1,472 young people with disabilities, 217 of whom have been approved for continuous assisted living.
The Children’s Rights Commissioner reported that the Mental Health programme was launched in eight pilot regions. From August to November 2025, teachers, medical professionals, workers of culture and emergency services personnel will undergo online training in delicate communication with children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and parents of such children.
In addition, Maria Lvova-Belova presented the results of the national inspection of the system for the prevention of social orphanhood. In some cases, children with disabilities live in organisations for orphans because of the lack of relevant assistance to their families. It is important that the regional authorities create alternatives to such institutions, for example, outpatient units, day care centres, in-home services (social nurses), and other forms of support and rehabilitation provided without separating children from their parents, she stated.
These tasks will be assigned, among other issues, to the Nationwide Family Assistance Service and the interdepartmental working group on family preservation and prevention of social orphanhood, the establishment of which the President has approved.