Child Welfare Outcomes During the 1990s : The Case of Russia, Volume 2. Main Report

Abstract

The objective of this study is to 1)
 review the situation and trends in terms of child welfare
 outcomes in Russia; 2) review and evaluate social policy
 responses; 3) identify major issues and challenges; and 4)
 propose policies and measures that would improve child
 well-being outcomes. The study consists of two parts. the
 first part reviews child welfare outcomes during the 1990s,
 focusing on child poverty and vulnerability, as well as
 health, education, and nutrition status. Chapter 2 links
 child well-being outcomes to the protracted economic crisis
 and related labor market developments, high inequality,
 rapid demographic and family formation changes, as well as
 generally insufficient, severely fiscally constrained and
 ineffective policy responses. Chapter 3 examines public
 policy responses in social protection, health and education,
 focusing on safety nets particularly policies targeting
 families and children. the second part of the study focuses
 on two groups of children identified as particularly
 vulnerable in Russia: children deprived of birth family
 upbringing and children with disabilities. the chapter on
 the former highlights their growing numbers against a
 continued decline in the child population, as well as the
 continued practice of costly, detrimental to child
 development and ineffective long-term institutionalization
 of such children. It reviews legal and institutional reforms
 undertaken so far and identifies challenges related to
 designing effective reform.