YHP Russia
Location
Moscow
Timing
Phase I: 2022-2023
Phase II: 2023-2026
The local context
In Russia, more than 280,000 children are raised in foster families.¹ Children with disabilities, adolescents, siblings and children in temporary care are among the most difficult to place and are at greater risk of placement breakdown.1
Adolescence is a critical period for developing behaviours and coping mechanisms that can influence lifelong health outcomes.2 Young people who experience instability, trauma and limited social support may face increased risks linked to poor mental wellbeing, social exclusion and unhealthy behaviours associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life.3 4
Stable family environments and access to professional support can help young people build resilience, improve wellbeing and develop healthier patterns of behaviour.2 5
YHP Russia supports foster families with specialist services, designed to strengthen family relationships and improve outcomes for underserved adolescents.
Our objectives
To support adolescents in foster care to build healthier and more stable futures through strengthened family support.
Our focus
Providing specialist psychological, developmental and family support services that help foster families create stable, supportive environments for adolescents impacted by negative experiences.
Our programme
Through our NGO partner, the ‘Volunteers for Orphans’ Charity Fund, YHP Russia supports the ‘Children at Home’ Information Centre, which provides free consultations for foster families and children. Services include psychological support, legal advice, speech therapy, neuropsychology and specialist developmental support.
The Programme helps foster families create more stable and supportive home environments that can improve adolescent wellbeing, resilience, social integration and long-term life outcomes.
With support from YHP, the Information Centre aims to deliver 3,000 professional consultations to 464 foster families raising at least 700 children over a four-year period. AstraZeneca employees also contribute through charitable and volunteering activities that support the programme.
Our achievements
Survey results from participating foster families have demonstrated positive improvements in wellbeing, family stability and social integration:
- 93% of surveyed foster families reported improved family circumstances
- 83% observed improvements in children’s psychological wellbeing
- 88% of parents reported improvements in their own emotional wellbeing
- 82% saw stronger intra-family relationships
- 77% reported improvements in children’s social integration.
These outcomes highlight the importance of stable family support in helping underserved adolescents build healthier and more resilient futures.
Our partners
The 'Volunteers for Orphans' Charity Fund is a non-governmental organisation focused on helping orphans and foster families. Their experience includes working with regulatory bodies, foster families, and social institutions to shape policies, improve the regulatory framework of the Russian orphanage system, and provide better social services for orphans.
Further information
The initiative also promotes community engagement and social inclusion, helping create supportive environments for underserved children and adolescents.
Since 2016, the Foundation has been running the “Kind Bottle Caps” environmental charity project. The idea behind the project is simple: people collect plastic caps and bring them to collection points; once enough caps have been accumulated, they are sent for recycling, and the proceeds are transferred to the Foundation’s account.
Over 9 years of the project’s operation, residents of 160 cities across Russia have joined the initiative. More than 700,000 people take part in the project, 1.6 million kilograms of caps have been collected, and the 42 million rubles raised have been used to purchase 195 pieces of expensive rehabilitation equipment for foster children with disabilities.
References:
1. Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation (2025). Consolidated reports on federal statistical observation form No. 103-RIC “Information on the identification and placement of children left without parental care”. Available for download here.
2. World Health Organization (WHO). Adolescent health. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/adolescent-health/ accessed May 2026.
3. World Health Organization (WHO). Mental health of adolescents. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health accessed May 2026.
4. Patton GC et al. Improving adolescent health: an evidence-based call to action. The Lancet. 2019. Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32996-9/fulltext accessed May 2026.
5. Viner RM et al. Changing patterns of health risk in adolescence: implications for lifelong health. The Lancet Public Health. 2024. Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(24)00125-7/fulltext accessed May 2026.