A senior Russian parliamentarian, Tatyana Butskaya, who serves as First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children, did not back Vladislav Davankov’s suggestion to grant grand family status to all households with two or more children. In an interview with socialbites.ca, she argued that large family status should reflect meaningful milestones rather than simply the number of children, warning that counting two children as a large family could accelerate demographic decline rather than counteract it.
Butskaya emphasized that the concept of a large family has been studied for years within regional practice to determine what constitutes an extended family. In some regions, six or seven children are considered a large family, while in a few districts a two-child family might fall into that category. But she noted that three children typically define a large family in most areas. When proposing rules for any extended-family status, she said, it is not about immediate support measures alone, though assistance would exist. The focus should be on guidelines. She warned that if the guidelines suggest that having many children equates to two or more, the result could be a reduction to only one child per family, triggering a faster demographic decline. She identified three as the benchmark number that aligns with remarks from the president and the government.
According to Butskaya, regional authorities currently provide insufficient financial backing to families with many children. She stressed that every child matters to the country and that authorities should extend support to families with one or two children as well as those with larger families.
Regarding specific measures, she stated that support should extend to two, one, three, four, and five children. She noted that the current demographic situation makes every birth meaningful and suggested that regional governments consider supporting third children at the regional level. She argued that while there is some help available for the third child, it diminishes for the fourth and subsequent children, often not totaling tens of thousands but rather hundreds of units of currency. Families with four or more children, she said, demand special support, including financial assistance, with particular attention paid to their ongoing needs as they expand their households.
Butskaya added that studies show families with four or more children report happiness levels that seem to exceed expectations. She referenced data from an ANO initiative, National Priorities, which indicated that families with four children experience a notable increase in happiness. In contrast, potential parents considering three or four children often describe the early years as demanding and exhausting, while families with four or more children report better balance and time for themselves. This observation suggests that public perceptions of large families do not always align with the lived experiences of those in extended families. Consequently, she affirmed that three or more children should be recognized as the standard for large families.
On Thursday it was reported that Vladislav Davankov, a deputy chairman of the State Duma representing the New People party, proposed granting grand status to all Russian families with two or more children. He argued that Russia faces a shortage of families with three or more children, as financial challenges deter some parents from having a third child.
There was also a note that the president and the government have signaled discussions about potentially increasing the maximum mortgage amount for families with three or more children, aiming to facilitate larger families under the housing program. These developments underscore the ongoing policy debate about how best to support families and influence demographic trends in the country.