The deputies of the ZSNO heard the report on the work of the Nizhny Novgorod ombudsman.

      On May 21, 2026, at 20:12, Society. On May 20, a meeting of the committee on social issues was held at the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Deputies heard a report from the Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Margarita Ushakova, on the results of activities for 2025.

      Margarita Ushakova reported that over the past year, the Commissioner received 1,670 appeals from citizens. Most often, people addressed issues related to the right of a child to live and be raised in a family, conflicts in schools, as well as questions related to the realization of the right to housing and social security. Thanks to the intervention of the children's ombudsman, more than 60% of cases managed to restore the violated rights of minors.

      “Recently, the deputies of the Legislative Assembly approved my candidacy for a third term as the Commissioner for Children's Rights. This is a high assessment of my work and our projects implemented in collaboration with many interested agencies. Every year we process thousands of reports received by the office of the children's rights defender. This indicates that we manage to maintain a high level of trust from the population. I thank the deputies of the Legislative Assembly and the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region for their assistance and willingness to cooperate. I am confident that, with the support of the residents of Nizhny Novgorod, we can do even more to protect the rights of minors,” noted Margarita Ushakova.

      Particular attention in the report was given to the prevention of social orphanhood. In the Nizhny Novgorod region, a family-preserving approach is being consistently implemented: instead of immediately removing a child from the family, specialists try to help parents out of crisis. The results of this work are already noticeable - the number of children taken from families has decreased by 84%. In addition, the number of parental rights deprivation has decreased by 23.7%, and restrictions on parental rights by 26.4%.

      “Our main goal is to prevent the separation of children from their parents and to return infants who have entered a residential institution to their biological families. A lot is being done in the region for this - the 'Children in the Family' services are actively working, 'Sustainable Family' clubs are developing, and work is being done with families in difficult life situations aimed at providing assistance, crisis resolution, and keeping children in the family. And this is yielding results: out of 105 children raised in families whose life situations were under special control of the ombudsman, 58 returned to their biological families, and another 28 were placed in substitute families. Work continues for 19 children. Also in focus is the prevention of juvenile involvement in illegal activities, conflict prevention in schools, and, of course, increasing the accessibility of recreation for children with disabilities and children with limited health capabilities. I am confident that the further joint work of the Legislative Assembly, the Commissioner for Children's Rights, the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod region, and local government bodies in protecting the rights and legitimate interests of children will be effective. Our common task is to do everything so that every child feels safe and grows up in a loving family,” emphasized the chairwoman of the Legislative Assembly's committee on social issues, Natalia Smotrakova.

      The ombudsman's report will also be discussed at the Legislative Assembly meeting on May 28. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.