Russian child-care falls on hard times
By Irina Glushchenko
MOSCOW — Alarmed by growing popular protests, the Russian government on February 3 moved to abolish taxes on the provision of food in schools and child-care centres.
But for many of the large number of Russian parents who depend on child-care services, this concession will seem like the charity of a mugger who leaves his victims their cab fare home. Just before new year, child-care charges in Moscow and other Russian cities were raised by as much as 2000%.
If in 1988 parents had to pay 25 roubles per child per month, and in 1991 50 roubles, the same child-care centres are now demanding as much as 1000 roubles — more than the total wage of many workers.
Official propaganda traditionally pointed to child-care in the USSR as an example of the achievements of the Soviet system. The cost of keeping a child in one of the centres was so small that it scarcely made an impact on the budgets even of underprivileged families. During the week children could be left overnight. They were also provided with medical care.
Child-care made it possible for millions of women in the USSR to combine family life with a career. Today, with unemployment rising, the new ruling circles have decided that a woman's place is in the kitchen.
Traditionally, child-care centres have been divided into those run by the municipalities and those owned by organisations, enterprises and ministries. Many of the municipal centres still make ends meet thanks to subsidies which have not yet been abolished.
But enterprises which are in financial crisis are deciding they can no longer subsidise their child-care centres. In these centres charges are increasing especially fast. Often, the increase in prices fails to cover the deficits, because many parents are forced to withdraw their children. Considerable numbers of child-care centres are now being shut down, and their buildings are being handed over to commercial enterprises.
Various plans to save children's preschool facilities have been discussed by the Moscow Soviet. One suggestion has been that organisations and enterprises which shut down child-care centres should be banned from transferring the buildings to commercial firms, and that the centres should be taken over by the municipality.
However, the authorities are convinced that the system of free and cheap social services must be abolished and replaced by private commercial enterprises.
This will mean additional hardships for millions of people who are already living in poverty in a ruined country.