On June 3, the VII All-Russian Conference "National Development Priorities in Best Regional Practices of Implementing the Childhood Decade" is being held at the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.

The conference served as a platform for interaction among all participants of the Childhood Decade initiative, including representatives of federal and regional executive authorities, public organizations, and professional and expert communities.

Specialists from various regions of Russia presented their experience and ideas related to implementing effective practices in all areas affecting the quality of life and development of children. They also discussed priority directions for state policy in childhood for 2025-2027, taking into account current modern challenges.

In his address to the attendees, Russian Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov emphasized the importance of initiatives aimed at supporting children and families. He noted that 2025 has been declared the Year of Rest in the education system and reminded that the All-Russian Parents' Committee has been established and is operating under the Ministry to form a unified educational space.

Alexander Bugaev, First Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, outlined key projects for implementing the Childhood Decade. He highlighted unforeseen challenges and the need to account for them. He also mentioned that a method to assess child well-being has been developed and tested:

"The first mechanism for implementing the Childhood Decade is conducting research. One of the key projects, the 'Child Well-Being Index,' is an MSUPE initiative—a tool that considers children's own subjective assessment of their well-being."

Alexey Gazaryan, Head of the Office of the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, presented positive practices in supporting families with children. In particular, during a recent meeting with Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the idea of creating an All-Russian Family Support Service. Maria Lvova-Belova also informed the President about collaboration with the scientific community:

"Interaction with the scientific community was very important for us. We involved St. Petersburg State University, the Higher School of Economics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and MSUPE. We analyzed data, conducted research, and compiled a ranking of regions based on the situation with social orphanhood."

Galina Semya, Professor at the Department of Developmental Psychology named after Professor L.F. Obukhova, Faculty of Educational Psychology, MSUPE, delivered a report on "Safety in Assessing Subjective Well-Being of Adolescents" at the section "Modern Challenges: Developing a Comprehensive Child Safety System."

The MSUPE research team proposed a definition of child well-being:

Child well-being is a child's state shaped by the combined influence of social, economic, cultural, psychological, and physical factors on their life in the present, past, and future. These factors aim to support and improve their physical and psychological health, meet basic life needs, provide quality education, and offer development opportunities aligned with their needs and capabilities—all in a safe environment and with children's participation, including their subjective assessment of well-being.

For quantitative assessment, the Child Well-Being Index (CWI) is used. The CWI is an indicator of the normative status of children and families, their quality of life in terms of national (regional/community) goals, and is determined by predefined parameters and access to a set of benefits. The CWI is a numerical score reflecting the quality of life of children and families with children.

Galina Semya noted that extensive research has been conducted under the "Priority-2030" program: 151,000 adolescents from 26 Russian regions were surveyed. This study identified specific problems in the lives of children from different categories, enabling targeted interventions in the future.

"Psychological security is a complex personal construct associated with a child's positive experience and awareness of the possibility to fulfill their basic social needs through the realization of rights and benefits provided by society and the state, in accordance with their capabilities. It is ensured by a formed set of personal qualities that enable psychological and social self-protection," clarified Galina Semya.

The professor also presented the project website for the "Child Well-Being Index."