The Ministry of Labor has developed a unified procedure for organizing and providing early care to children under three years of age. The relevant draft Government decree has been prepared in conjunction with the law on the comprehensive rehabilitation of citizens with disabilities and posted for public discussion.
"The early care system is just the tool that, if a child has a health disorder, helps to determine a clear algorithm of actions for the family, and to begin comprehensive rehabilitation as soon as possible. It is important to mobilize all forces at an early stage. After all, the sooner rehabilitation begins, the higher its effectiveness. Work on the implementation of an integrated approach in the organization and implementation of early care for children and their families in the regions is being carried out consistently and in stages. The proposed requirements for the organization and implementation of early care for children will help the regions create a unified system for providing early care services in accordance with the standard, as well as combine the health care system, social protection, education and family into a single mechanism for helping a child," said Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Alexey Vovchenko.
Previously, the range of recipients of early care services was determined in different regions. The project proposes to define a unified approach in determining the category of such citizens. Now children from birth to three years old will be able to receive early help:
- those with disabilities;
- having a developmental delay, or other health disorders that can lead to disability;
- those who are brought up in organizations for orphans and children left without parental care;
- those who are brought up in a family in a difficult life situation;
- if the child has health limitations, which is confirmed by the conclusion of the psychological, medical and pedagogical commission;
- if parents are concerned about their development and behavior.
Parents of toddlers will be able to receive recommendations on the need to seek early help from medical and rehabilitation organizations, social protection organizations, federal institutions of medical and social expertise, educational organizations, centers for psychological, pedagogical, medical and social assistance, psychological, medical and pedagogical commissions, organizations for orphans and children left behind without parental care.
The project also proposes to create a network of institutions providing early care in each region to ensure its accessibility regardless of the place of residence. To ensure the continuity of rehabilitation, it is planned to develop a single standard of early care.
Recall that in 2018, the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation prepared methodological recommendations on the organization of early care services, which helped to ensure coordination, continuity and interdepartmental interaction between areas of early care. At the moment, the regions have formed early assistance services within the framework of the current concept for the development in the Russian Federation of a system of comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation of citizens with disabilities, including children with disabilities, for the period up to 2025.
The concept of early care for children and their families was first legislated in December 2023 by the law on Comprehensive rehabilitation. The main purpose of the law is to ensure equal access to quality services in all major areas of rehabilitation and continuity in their provision. Thanks to the unified organization of the rehabilitation process, comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation will be available to citizens with disabilities throughout the country. The law will allow approving standards of rehabilitation services, requirements for specialists and setting up unified approaches to the organization of the rehabilitation process in all regions. The main provisions of the law come into force on March 1, 2025.
Please note that this press release is based on materials provided by the company. AK&M Information Agency shall not be held liable for its contents, nor for the legal and other consequences of its publication.
