Current State and Prospects of Family Policy in Russia: Socio-Demographic Analysis

The goal of the work is to analyze the measures and expected results of the state family policy, including the activities of the national project “Demography” (2018), affecting the interests of the family, which allows us to determine the prospects of family policy. The article is based on the analysis of state documents on the strategy of demographic and family policy, official statistics, population censuses and sample surveys of Rosstat. We identify the effectiveness of family policy measures taking into account the differentiation of socio-demographic development of regions. To do this, we use methods of descriptive statistics and multidimensional data analysis – dispersion and cluster analysis. The cluster analysis makes it possible to form typological groups of regions depending on the dynamics of fertility, poverty level and the development of the preschool care system – the most important indicators characterizing the implementation of family policy strategy. Economic support measures, the effectiveness of which has been proven in a number of studies conducted in countries around the world, are very important for Russian families. However, the impact of these measures has its own specific features in connection with the differentiation of economic development of regions, opportunities for the development of social infrastructure, and maintenance of a decent standard of living for families with children; it is important to take all this into account in the development of family policy. The analysis of the effectiveness of family policy suggests the need to change the structure of implemented measures. Family policy should be long-term and systemic; it should be aimed at creating conditions that increase the independence of the family in modern society and economic relations. Often, in the course of formation of a strategy for activities in the field of family policy, there is no clear link between the goals of activities and indicators of its achievement. Complex issues that need to be addressed in the interests of the family (for example, providing opportunities for parents to combine family and professional roles) and that need to unite the efforts of various actors, including employers, remain outside the focus of family policy. The intersection of activities and expected results does not allow us to assess the effectiveness of individual strategic documents in the field of family policy