"For a prolonged period, I was uncertain about my desires."
In the city of Ussuriysk, the "Successful Start" children's development centre is set to expand, moving to a larger space and introducing new programs designed for older students. The centre's director, Feodosiya Kuruc, has been instrumental in the centre's growth, having retrained as a speech therapist and planning to study for a degree in special education this fall.
The expansion of the centre will include the introduction of speech development through music, an art studio, and classes with a speech therapist. These additions aim to improve fine motor skills, attention, imagination, and articulation in toddlers, aligning with the centre's focus on early childhood development.
Meanwhile, the Russian government's "Social Contract" programme continues to support citizens in difficult life situations. Since the beginning of this year, over 110,000 such contracts have been concluded, benefiting over 323,000 citizens. This programme offers assistance in job search, entrepreneurship, personal subsidiary farming, and overcoming difficult life situations.
Job seekers can receive payments amounting to the minimum wage upon contract signing and for three months after employment. Up to 30,000 rubles can be paid for training. For those interested in entrepreneurship, up to 350,000 rubles can be provided for starting a business, which can be used for renting a premise, purchasing equipment, inventory, etc.
Russians with income below the regional minimum wage can conclude a social contract, with priority given to families with children, large families, participants in SVO, and their relatives. For personal subsidiary farming, support amounts to up to 200,000 rubles upon contract signing, with up to 30,000 rubles available for training.
The "Overcoming difficult life situations" direction of the social contract provides payments and specific conditions that vary by region, intended to help individuals purchase essential items and undergo an adaptation program. The contract's validity period is up to six months.
Feodosiya Kuruc, a graduate in art and design, received 350,000 rubles from the "Social Contract" programme to buy equipment, furniture, and appliances for her development centre. She started her journey with part-time work in a development centre and has since helped dozens of children, including her own three.
Today, Russia celebrates its Day of the Family, Love, and Fidelity, dedicated to the memory of Saints Peter and Fevronia. This day serves as a reminder of the importance of family and community support, values that Feodosiya Kuruc embodies in her work at the "Successful Start" children's development centre.
In alignment with the focus on early childhood development, the expanded "Successful Start" centre will integrate home-and-garden themed activities, such as art studio classes and speech development through music, into its curriculum. As Feodosiya Kuruc prepares for her studies in special education, she looks forward to incorporating these interactive, lifestlye-oriented elements into the centre's programs for older students.
