On December 19, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a comprehensive approach to addressing demographic issues, with preschool education and family support playing a key role. The announced initiatives directly affect every preschool institution, teacher, and parent in the country.
Expanding kindergarten capacities
One of the central proposals for preschool education was the president's proposal to increase the time children spend in kindergartens. This proposal involves extending the working hours of institutions "not until 18:00, but beyond." This measure is intended to help working parents, especially mothers, by allowing them to return to work earlier.
At the same time, Putin immediately outlined a condition for implementation: extending the working hours will require an increase in the number of teachers and educators, which requires additional positions.
Infrastructure for the little ones
The head of state issued a direct order to the regions: when implementing kindergarten renovation programs, they must consider the creation of crèches. This decision is aimed at supporting young families and removing barriers to mothers returning to work early.
This statement echoes recent successes in the sector. As a reminder, on September 1, the president noted that the availability of preschool education in the country had reached 99% thanks to a large-scale state program. He called the development of preschool education an important area of demographic policy.
New family support system
The president announced new support measures for families with children, which will come into effect on January 1 of next year. Specifically, families with incomes below 1.5 times the subsistence minimum per person will be able to receive a refund of a portion of their personal income tax. He also instructed that the situation whereby large families were losing their benefits with only a slight increase in income was rectifying.
The procedure for calculating pension points for mothers with many children is changing: they will now be counted for all children, not just three, as was previously the case. The government has also been instructed to address the gap in childcare benefits for children aged one and a half to three years.
Responding to the challenges of the AI age
In his speeches, Putin repeatedly noted the fundamental challenge that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies pose to the entire education system, starting with kindergarten and school. The danger lies in the fact that children, receiving ready-made answers fr om neural networks, may stop thinking independently.
The main task, according to the president, is to develop an approach to education that enables children to independently solve problems while effectively using AI capabilities. Addressing this issue requires efforts not only from the Ministry of Education but also from the entire teaching community.
Ideological message
Throughout the press conference, a recurring theme was the call to start a family and have children without long delays. Putin called these issues "fundamental" and advised against waiting for ideal material conditions.
The president stated that "having children should become fashionable," and society needs to restore the value and conscious happiness of motherhood and fatherhood. He cited the traditions of the peoples of the Caucasus, wh ere families are started at an earlier age, as a positive example.
These initiatives create a new context for the work of all preschool staff. It is expected that the Ministry of Education and regional authorities will soon begin detailed development of:
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Mechanisms for extending kindergarten hours and increasing staffing.
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Standards for creating nursery groups as part of renovation projects.
Methodological recommendations for developing critical thinking in preschoolers in the digital age.
These steps confirm that the state views preschool education not as a childcare service, but as a strategic foundation for Russia's demographic well-being and future intellectual potential.