Published on: 2026-10-16
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
October 18 is Father’s Day in Russia. In honor of this holiday, Moscow charitable foundations are launching a series of support programs for dads. Dad is a reliable support for the family, but he sometimes needs help too, especially if the family is raising a child who requires special care. Capital non-profit organizations (NPOs) help dads address such challenges by providing access to communities, implementing special projects, and offering support.
Support for Foster Fathers
Fund “The Arithmetic of Good” systematically addresses the problems of orphanhood in Russia. Within the framework of the “Foster Families Club” program, the “Papa Club” operates — a community of men who have become foster fathers. Here they share experiences and support each other.
“The path of an adoptive parent is full of unique challenges and joys. Only those who have walked this path themselves truly understand them. And fathers don’t always have a place where they can openly discuss their questions and successes—we strive to provide them with this space,” the foundation notes.
This was the case with Mikhail, who, together with his wife Olga, raises two adopted daughters — Alina and Nastya. At first, the relationship with 10-year-old Alina did not work out — the girl never had a father and did not know how to be a daughter, and Mikhail did not understand how to become a support for her. “Papa Club” came to the rescue: after the meetings, the man returned changed, even his look changed. After seven months, Alina was the first to make contact, cautiously smiling at her father.
Fathers nearby: support for families raising children with special health needs
Charitable foundation “Step into Life” develops youth and adaptive hockey teams. One of its projects is the photo exhibition “Dads Nearby” in the Krasnogvardeyskiye Ponds recreational area. The 10 photos showcase stories of fathers who stay close to their children despite the diagnosis, helping them lead an active social life. The photos feature dads and their children with musculoskeletal disorders and autism spectrum disorders. Hockey has become a way of socialization and shared achievement for these families.
“Upon hearing the diagnosis, they did not back down or shift the responsibility onto others. They brought the children to hockey and stayed close: in the locker room, by the boards, on the ice — through victories and defeats. For them, hockey became not just a sport, but a way to be together,” shared the foundation.
One of the heroes of the exhibition is Anton, Mark’s father from the “Mustang” team. The 10-year-old boy has autism spectrum disorder, and for about five years hockey has played an important role in his life, giving him self-confidence, discipline, a team, and friendship.
Anton recalls: when Mark first stepped onto the ice, he was so worried that his heart was pounding out of his chest. The man was afraid that his son would fall, get scared, and no longer want to come back. The father watched every movement with his eyes and was ready to catch him at any second. Now Anton rejoices in the child’s achievements — not only the goals but also every element Mark performs on the ice. Dad sincerely prides himself on him, as Mark is a special boy who has mastered one of the most difficult sports.
You can view the exhibition in the Krasnogvardeyskie Ponds recreation area until November 15. Previously, the “Dads Nearby” exhibition was shown at the Parliamentary Library of the Moscow City Duma.
Assistance to families with seriously ill children
Fund “Life Is a Miracle” supports families with children suffering from liver diseases. The organization assists with undergoing examinations, medications, airline tickets, and accommodation payments during treatment in Moscow. For Father’s Day, the foundation, together with the service “Auto.ru,” launched a project “Dads rule”. Fathers from different cities are raising funds so that the foundation’s wards can come to the capital for mandatory examinations to monitor their condition and adjust therapy after liver transplantation. As part of the campaign, more than 1.8 million rubles have already been raised.
The fundraising director of the Life as a Miracle Foundation, Pavel Rakovsky, said that the participants in the campaign have very different fathers: each has their own family and story. But they are all united by the desire to help children with liver diseases, who especially need support today.
One of the wards is the Kochetkov family. When their eldest son Gleb was six months old, he needed a liver transplant: due to a severe disease, bile could not drain from the organ and was destroying it. Father Ivan decided without hesitation to become a donor.
The man wanted his child to have a chance to see this world. After the operation, the father and son woke up in a ward on adjacent beds. Ivan saw Gleb next to him and said that since they woke up, everything went well and a happy life awaited them. The foundation continued to support the family and pay for follow-up examinations. Now Gleb is almost 11 years old, and he spends a lot of time with his relatives. Ivan says that above all, he wants children to turn to their fathers in difficult moments of life and for the fathers to find the right solution.
You can support the funds’ wards with the help of charity service on mos.ru. To make a donation, you need to select a support program on the service’s page and specify the transfer amount. You can send a donation to the beneficiaries of one, several, or all programs in the category at once: in this case, the amount will be evenly distributed among all organizations.
The work and functional development of the service are overseen by the capital’s Department of Information Technology and Committee on Public Relations and Youth Policy with the support of the Public Chamber of the city of Moscow.
The provision of socially significant services in electronic form and the development of e-government infrastructure correspond to the objectives of the national project “The Data Economy and the Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of Moscow “Digital Public Administration.” You can learn more about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution at special page.
To find out how the capital has changed over the past years, what initiatives aimed at making city residents’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its inhabitants in the near future, one can in a large-scale special project on the mos.ru portal, dedicated to the development of key areas of Moscow. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and the construction sector.
On the project page “Social Support and Employment of the Population” one can learn about opportunities for citizens in need of support. The capital provides comprehensive assistance to families in difficult life situations, as well as to people with disabilities and participants of the special military operation. In Moscow Longevity Centers Regular exercise sessions and yoga, lectures, and other events are held. In addition, in the capital’s employment service, you can retrain and obtain a new in-demand profession.
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Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.