Minimum benefits proposed for foster families
28.10.2016
The presidential council believes that the necessary funds should be transferred from regional budgets to the federal budget.
The President of the Russian Federation’s (RF) Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC) has proposed that the Russian Government establish a national minimum for state benefits for families with foster children, reports Investiya (newspaper). At the moment, the size of allowances is set on the regional level and, as experts note, amounts vary substantially depending on the individual.
“The size of benefits in different regions can range at times. In some regions, the payments for children are less than the cost of living. For a long time the idea of raising these payments above the cost of living has been discussed, but this will not solve the problem because this minimum is itself not very high,” the publication reports in the words of Yulia Yudina, the Director of the Change One Life Foundation.
The costs for the initiative should be transferred from regional budgets to the federal budget, according to the HRC, but individuals can top up with their own money if they are able to do so.
“There are poor regions, where there are a lot of orphans. There is no fund to pay for them. Nor is there any minimum. The problem is particularly severe in Kurgan Oblast, Tuva and Zabaikalye,” the publication reported, according to Evgeniya Bobrova, a member of the HRC. The Presidential Council believes that it is essential to approve the relevant government resolutions establishing a compulsory standard, below which the size of the allowance cannot fall.
