Importance of social benefits in strengthening the institution of the family in Russia (based on the materials of an empirical study in the Irkutsk region)

The article presents the dynamics of family problems in the focus of the implementation of national projects in Russia. It also identifies the priority ways to improve the existing system of state social benefits aimed at strengthening the institution of the family, which is currently experiencing a severe crisis. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the national project “Demography” in the Irkutsk region as of 2023–2024. The authors applied a number of sociological methods and techniques, namely statistical analysis of data, analysis of documentary sources, secondary analysis of sociological research materials, online survey of the population, etc. Based on the study results, the importance of social support measures for strengthening family relationships and improving the wellbeing of families in the Irkutsk region is substantiated. It has been established that social benefits play an important role in strengthening the institution of the family in Russia. The scope and availability of these benefits have a direct impact on the stability of family relationships, increasing the level of well-being and the formation of positive trends in the family sphere. The work substantiated the assertion on the presence of potential aspects for improving the social support system for families in the region. According to the authors, information on various measures of family support is currently provided in different sources, which hinders its search and perception. The lack of a centralized resource leads to the fact that families may miss opportunities to receive the support which they are entitled to obtain. In the context of such a social reality, it is proposed to implement a project to develop a consolidated Internet resource “Family Support in the Irkutsk Region”. Practical recommendations are proposed to strengthen the institution of the family by providing social benefits to government bodies, public control bodies, and specialized enterprises in the field of work with families in the Irkutsk Region.

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