Mirziyoyev Reviews Plans for Social Protection of Vulnerable Families and Children

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals aimed at further improving the system of support for socially vulnerable populations, expanding comprehensive social and rehabilitation services across regions, and strengthening measures to protect children from all forms of violence.

During the discussion, mechanisms for identifying low-income families and families at risk of poverty were considered, along with the organization of social assistance and the provision of services through a unified system that reflects the real needs of the population. To date, the Single Social Protection Registry has assessed the social situation of 1.8 million families. Among them, 739,000 families, including low-income households and those on the verge of poverty, have been registered and provided with benefits and other forms of material support.

To further enhance the system, a Social Registry will be established based on the existing Single Social Protection Registry and the Registry of Poor Families. Families will be classified according to their socio-economic status into categories such as those receiving state support, low-income families, and families at the brink of poverty. For each category, corresponding support measures and types of social services have been defined. Social assistance will be provided using a differentiated approach that considers household income and employment potential. For certain categories of families with limited abilities, social support will be provided without requiring employment. Local community committees (“mahalla seven”) will have the authority to register families whose members have limited working capacity or are in difficult life situations.

For families included in the registry, measures will be implemented to increase income, provide social services in healthcare, employment, housing, and other areas, as well as to engage employable family members in work and entrepreneurial activities.

To expand comprehensive social and rehabilitation services in the regions, the creation of territorial social service centers has been proposed. In 2026–2027, 20 such centers are planned to open, where the population will have access to a full range of services, including care, supervision, habilitation, rehabilitation, and education. These centers aim to reach people with disabilities who require assistance, as well as isolated individuals, reducing their permanent stay in residential social institutions by promoting day-service alternatives. Simultaneously, processes for accessing services will be digitized, electronic referrals introduced, and the quality of assistance continuously monitored.

President Mirziyoyev was also presented with the 2026–2030 Strategy for the Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence. The main objective of the strategy is to create a safe, violence-free environment, enable early identification of at-risk children, and provide comprehensive support to children who have been victims or witnesses of violence. The strategy outlines priority areas for violence prevention, work with at-risk families and children, and the provision of social, psychological, educational, and legal services to children and their families.

The document provides for the establishment of small-scale “open” centers for children, development of individualized plans for each child, measures to ensure access to education and social integration, and enhanced legal protection for children.

Special attention is given to the training of professionals working with children and interagency cooperation on child protection. The strategy also includes measures to expand access to education for socially vulnerable children, develop alternative placement mechanisms, offer career guidance, and support social adaptation. Work with families focuses on reducing the risk of violence, supporting parents, and providing psychological and social assistance.

To ensure effective oversight of implementation, a unified electronic platform for child social protection will be established, along with a system for recording and monitoring cases of violence. The President instructed the responsible agencies to ensure a systematic approach to implementing the planned measures and to maintain continuous control over the execution of all initiatives.