Medical and Social Expert Evaluation and RehabilitationMedical and Social Expert Evaluation and Rehabilitation1560-95372412-2092Eco-Vector10556810.17816/MSER105568Research ArticleDevelopment of a system providing early assistance to children and their families in the Russian FederationVladimirovaOksana N.<p>MD, Dr. Sci. (Med.)</p>vladox1204@yandex.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6692-2882AfoninaKira P.<p>MD, Cand. Sci. (Med.)</p>mintrud@mintrud.gov.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4000-9651StarobinaElena M.<p>Dr. Sci. (Ped.)</p>estarobina@yandex.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1820-9307LorerVictoria V.<p>Cand. Sci. (Psychology)</p>reabin@center-albreht.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7843-3004IshutinaInna S.<p>MD, Cand. Sci. (Med.)</p>in.ishutina@yandex.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6640-904XKoganZlata V.<p>Junior Research Associate</p>vinzlata@yandex.ruhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2577-9730St. Petersburg Institute of advanced training of doctors-expertsDepartment for Disabled PeopleFederal Scientific Center of Rehabilitation of the Disabled named after G.A. Albrecht2410202225155642903202220062022Copyright © 2022, Eco-Vector2022<p><em><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>: </em>The concept of developing a system of comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation of people with disability in the Russian Federation, including children with disabilities, for the period up to 2025, includes providing early assistance to children and their families initially, contributing to the early identification of impaired functions in children, subsequent routing of children with disabilities, and prevention of disability in children.</p>
<p><em><strong>AIM</strong>: </em>This study aimed to analyze the development of a system providing early assistance to children and their families in the Russian Federation.</p>
<p><em><strong>MATERIALS AND METHODS</strong>: </em>Metadata of target programs were analyzed for the development of comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation of people with disability. This system provides early assistance to the population of the Russian Federation. Data obtained from the monitoring of the early assistance system, including 83 indicators, in four directions, were analyzed: organizations providing early assistance services, children in need of early assistance and who received it, specialists providing early assistance services (form 1-RP), and during the period of implementation of the concept of development of early assistance in the Russian Federation until 2020.</p>
<p><strong><em>RESULTS: </em></strong>The relevance of forming an early assistance system is considered from a demographic, neurobiological, biopsychosocial, organizational, social, and socioeconomic point of views. The number of children in need of early assistance increased from 296.2 thousand in 2017 to 407.0 thousand in 2019, accounting for 3.9% of all children aged 03 years. The number of children who received early assistance services increased from 223.4 thousand in 2017 to 340.5 thousand in 2019, and the coverage rate of the target group of children with early assistance among the total population of the Russian Federation was 83.7% in 2019. Factors that hindered the development of the early assistance system in the Russian Federation were regulatory and legal, informational, organizational and content, personnel, conceptual, and categorical.</p>
<p><em><strong>CONCLUSIONS</strong>: </em>In the Russian Federation, conditions have been created for the development of early assistance to children and their families at a new level. In the drafted federal law, early assistance is allocated as a separate direction of state policy, and the need for a synergy of administration bodies and departments (health care, social protection, and education) on unified technologies was noted. Several issues remain unresolved, namely, staffing policy, interagency cooperation, financial and economic issues, and others.</p>early helpearly aidchildren with disabilitiesfamilyранняя помощьраннее вмешательстводети с ограниченными возможностями здоровьядети-инвалидысемья[Kozhevnikova EV, Mukhamedrakhimov RZh, Chistovich LA. The St. Petersburg program «Habilitation of infants» is the first early intervention program in Russia. Pediatrics. 1998;(1):88–89. (In Russ).][Zlokazov AV, Onokhova TS. Factors (problems) hindering effective interdepartmental interaction of rehabilitation organizations in the Sverdlovsk region and ways to minimize (eliminate) them. In: Rehabilitation Technologies: Science and Practice. Proceedings of the International scientific conference, April 25–26. Saint Petersburg: R-Kopi; 2018. Р. 47–54. (In Russ.)][Starobina EM. Early assistance to children and their families: formation of regional systems. Proceedings of the A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University. 2020;(195):135–143. (In Russ). doi: 10.33910/1992-6464-2020-195-135-143][Starobina EM, Lorer VV, Vladimirova ON. Early assistance to children and their families: theoretical and organizational and methodological foundations. Methodical manual. Saint Petersburg: TSIATSAN; 2020. 144 p. (In Russ).][Lorer VV, Starobina EM, Vladimirova ON. Monitoring of regional early care systems in the Russian Federation. In: Early care for children and their families: the trajectory of professional growth. Collection of articles of the II International Scientific and Practical Conference, November 6–8. Saint Petersburg: TSIATSAN; 2019. Р. 13–18. (In Russ).]