Sergey Chirkov, Chairman of the Social Fund, and Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Russian Federation, signed a cooperation agreement. It is focused on building up a systemic interaction on issues concerning the compliance with and protection of children's rights to social welfare.
As the largest social payment operator in the country, the Social Fund provides support to millions of Russian families. The agreement they reached provide for hosting joint events and maintaining an information exchange to review inquiries related to child allowances.
"It is vital for us to receive feedback on services and payments, since the commissioner's focus is always on the most relevant information," Sergey Chirkov said in the course of agreement signing. "We are focused meaningful work and plan to interact directly with parents through joint events to gain a deeper understanding of their situations. This will give us a chance to act faster and in a targeted manner."
A separate area of joint work will be raising family awareness concerning all the available benefit types. "Next year, we plan to spend over RUB 2.5 trillion on family and children's protection, RUB 165.1 billion more than in this year," Head of the Social Fund emphasized.
"It is vital that families with children receive all the benefits they are eligible for, maternity capital and other payments in a timely manner," emphasized Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights. "Direct interactions with the Social Fund will allow us to resolve any issues quicker, providing families with timely advice and comprehensive assistance."
The agreement has become part of the Social Fund's systemic effort to expand partnerships with public organizations and human rights advocates. The Fund's branches in all Russian regions, for instance, hold receptions and consultations based on agreements with human rights commissioners, regularly convening working groups to improve law enforcement practice. The goal is to make the social welfare system more transparent and accessible.