Russian family policy in transition: Implications for families and professionals

Abstract

Russia's political transition from a totalitarian system to a fledgling democracy has brought Russian families new legal rights, at least on paper. The 1996 Family Code gives parents the right to rear their children as they think best rather than in the manner directed by official state ideology. However, parents face a number of obstacles in realizing their new rights in contemporary Russia. These include traditional ways of thinking about child rearing, limited information and choices for parents, vested interests of professionals, absence of detailed regulations to guide the implementation of the new laws, and lack of local resources.