Assessing data in planning the provision of early assistance services to children and their families as part of the formation of interdepartmental interaction: regional experience
Authors:   South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, Vasilieva Victoria S. 
Published: January 2024

Introduction. One of the priority areas in the implementation of the national project “Demography” is supporting the family and strengthening the health of the younger generation. Data on the increase in the number of children who, in the early stages of development, are diagnosed with psychophysical development disorders of various severity and structure of expression, pose important tasks for regional authorities to modernize comprehensive care and create a model of interdepartmental interaction in the provision of early assistance services to children and their families in order to prevent negative scenarios for child development. The purpose of our article is to analyze the modern system for recording data on identifying and providing services to young children, and the experience of organizing early care for children and their families. Methods. Data is used on the health status of young children living in the Chelyabinsk region (Russian Federation) for 2020 – 157,459 children, 2021 – 218,249 children; 2022 – 137,978 children. A method of compiling and grouping statistical observation materials was used, which allows for an analysis of the numerical composition of young children at risk receiving early assistance services, the structure of institutions and organizations in the field of health care, education and social protection of the population of state and municipal forms of ownership on the basis of which services are provided early assistance in the region. Results. It has been established that in the region, the system for collecting, analyzing and systematizing statistical data on children classified as a target group and receiving early assistance services is based on federal statistical reporting forms. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data obtained allows us to say that 100% of children in the target group receive early intervention services. At the same time, conclusions were drawn about a clear underestimation of the potential capabilities of the education system (18% of children in the target group) and social protection of the population of the region (4% of children in the target group) to create conditions for the provision of early assistance services. The use of such a form of statistical method of “observation” as reporting analysis made it possible to identify a pattern that reveals a trend of annual increase in the detection of the number of children in the target group at each subsequent stage of age development (on average by more than 75%). Conclusion. Prospects for developing a model for the development of early care in the region are based on the need to: take into account data on the individual characteristics of children’s health; their inclusion in the system of habilitation and rehabilitation measures carried out within maximum walking distance for the family by specialists with the required level of professional competence; ensuring the implementation of an individual child rehabilitation program in the regional system of interdepartmental interaction.