Traditionally, June 1 in Kazakhstan marks International Children's Day. Today, more than 6.9 million children live in the country, and issues of their protection occupy one of the key places in the state's social policy. This work is based on the principle of care for children and their upbringing, enshrined in the new Constitution. The main task of the state is to create reliable and comfortable conditions for families in which children can grow up healthy, receive education, and feel safe. The main document in this area for the coming years is the Concept “Children of Kazakhstan” for 2026–2030, approved by the Government on the instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following the National Kurultai. The program includes 158 measures, with a total funding volume of 1.3 trillion tenge. Work is being carried out in key areas such as education, healthcare, social protection, and safety.

From Eliminating Three-Shift Schools to Personal Vouchers

In the field of education, efforts are focused on bridging the gap between urban and rural schools. Since 2020, on the instruction of the Head of State, more than 1,200 schools have been built in the country — over 1 million new student places, which has immediately reduced the number of three-shift schools by four times. Plans for this year include commissioning another 96 schools with 53 thousand places.

At the same time, modernization of existing school infrastructure is underway: over three years, it is planned to renovate 1,300 schools, of which 820 are in rural areas. Since 2025, 215 schools have already been renovated. The works include complete replacement of subject classrooms, canteens, gyms, and security systems.

Along with this, changes are taking place in the content of education — digital technologies are being introduced, subject training is being strengthened, and adapted programs for children with special educational needs are being developed. Special attention is paid to improving the professional level of teachers, which allows creating a comfortable and supportive environment in educational institutions for the realization of each student’s potential.

An important stage in the educational process remains preschool education. It is at an early age that the foundations for further development are laid, communication skills are formed, and preparation for school takes place. Therefore, the state is consistently expanding access to kindergartens and pre-school preparation. Today, over 12 thousand preschool organizations operate in the republic — 5.3 thousand public and 6.6 thousand private, covering more than 1 million children. The coverage rate of preschool education for children aged 2–6 has reached 70.9%, and among children on the waiting list — 96%.

To increase the accessibility of preschool education, new approaches to financing are being introduced. In particular, a pilot project of voucher financing has been launched in 20 cities and 23 districts of the country, involving about 6 thousand organizations and issuing more than 936 thousand vouchers. This step has increased the transparency and efficiency of budget expenditures, and reduced the republican waiting list for kindergartens almost 9 times since 2025 — from 160 thousand to 18 thousand children.

Over the past three years, 223 thousand new preschool places have been created in the country, and another 76.5 thousand are planned to be opened by the end of 2027. The quality of the educational process in preschool institutions is ensured by more than 104 thousand specialists, for whom a system of regular advanced training has been built in accordance with modern standards of early childhood development.

The expansion of the network of kindergartens, new financing approaches, and support for teachers help make preschool education more accessible and of higher quality. This is important not only for school preparation, but also for children to grow up from an early age in a safe, developmental, and caring environment.

Quality Healthcare from the First Days of Life

Thanks to the measures taken by the Government, the focus in children's healthcare has shifted to prevention and early detection of pathologies even before the child is born. Funding for this sector has more than doubled over the past five years — from 264 to 585 billion tenge, accounting for almost a quarter of the country's entire medical budget. Medical care for children is provided free of charge under the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care and the Compulsory Social Health Insurance system.

The introduction of fetal surgery (operations before birth) and the launch of the patronage system, which involves about 4 thousand nurses, have allowed Kazakhstan to reduce infant mortality by 7.5 times compared to the first years of independence, and maternal mortality by 6 times.

After birth, children undergo mandatory examinations, including neonatal, audiological, and ophthalmological screenings, as well as developmental assessments. Children's hospitals are being renovated in the regions, perinatal centers are being built, and specialized and high-tech care is being expanded, including in oncohematology.

The approach to adolescent health is also changing: now every school is assigned to primary health care organizations, and medical offices operate in educational institutions where disease prevention, physical development monitoring, and the formation of healthy habits are carried out.

Also, since 2025, a new standard for school meals has been in effect, taking into account the age-related needs of students. The system of mental health support is also developing: children and parents can contact youth health centers and mental health centers for consultation and assistance. An important element of the safety system remains the single number 112, which ensures 24-hour reception of calls in emergency situations, including from children.

To reduce risks for adolescents, the circulation of electronic cigarettes and vapes has been legislatively restricted, and the sale of energy drinks to persons under 21 years of age has been prohibited.

Support for Families and Growth of Social Payments

Along with the modernization of education and children's healthcare, measures of social support are being strengthened. Care for health and education is reinforced by systematic support for families with children, which is built as a cross-cutting mechanism from birth to adulthood.

In 2026, 974 billion tenge has been allocated for the payment of benefits to families with children, which is 19.1% more than the previous year. The funds are directed to one-time childbirth benefits, childcare allowances, and support for large families and families raising children with disabilities. All benefit amounts are annually indexed: for example, the amount of benefits for the birth of the fourth and subsequent children in 2026 exceeded 272 thousand tenge. A separate set of measures is provided to strengthen the status of large mothers, including women awarded the “Altyn Alka” and “Kumis Alka” pendants.

In addition, work is underway to reform the system of guardianship and support for children left without parental care, shifting the focus to family-based placement. One of the key steps was the introduction of the institution of professional foster families, which provide residence and care for children in difficult life situations. Candidates undergo strict selection, psychological preparation, and mandatory training, while the maintenance of children and the labor of foster caregivers are fully paid from the budget.

Additionally, since 2025, mandatory certification of mentors for orphanage pupils has been introduced. Changes have also affected housing guarantees: the three-year registration requirement for orphans when registering in the capital and megacities has been cancelled, and when changing place of residence, the original date in the queue is retained. Financial mechanisms include preferential mortgages, rent subsidies, and targeted support within the republican campaign “Meiirim”.

Overall, the consistent expansion of social payments contributes to increasing family resilience, reducing the burden on parents, and creating more confident conditions for raising children.

National Fund  for Children: Financial Basis for the Future Generation

One of the long-term support tools remains the “National Fund for Children” program, launched in 2024 on the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. According to the approved mechanism, 50% of the annual investment income of the National Fund is directed to special savings accounts for children until they reach the age of 18. Upon reaching adulthood, these savings can be used either to improve housing conditions or to obtain education.

The program demonstrates stable growth in key indicators. In the first year, 6.91 million children became participants, with $100.52 accrued to each. In 2025, the number of participants increased to 6.92 million, and the annual payment amount rose to $129.38. Following the 2026 distribution, funds were accrued to 6.91 million children, with the annual payment amount reaching $130.71.

For children participating in the program since its launch, the total savings, including investment income, already amount to $370.56. Over three years, $2.3 billion has been distributed under the initiative, of which more than $238.5 million has been transferred to the accounts of adults. To date, more than 297 thousand applications have been approved: for improving housing conditions — over 187 thousand applications for more than $33 million, for education payment — more than 110 thousand applications for over $19 million.

Safe Childhood: Institutional Control and Rights Protection

Issues of ensuring safety and legal protection of children are important. Today, they are synchronized with the general principle of the Head of State “Law and Order”.

The main emphasis in this area is placed on early prevention and the creation of a protected educational environment. Since September 2025, anti-bullying programs “DosbolLIKE” and KiVa have been deployed in all schools and colleges of the country on a regulatory basis, and uniform algorithms for state bodies’ response to cases of violence or ill-treatment of minors have been approved. At the regional level, specialized Psychological Support Centers have been opened and are operating in all regions.

At the same time, state control has been significantly tightened. Inspections by authorized bodies now mandatorily cover the quality of school meals, the completeness of psychological and pedagogical support, and compliance with the rights of children with special educational needs.

The main legal change of 2026 was the introduction of direct administrative liability for violations in the field of child rights protection. Now, for ignoring cases of bullying, disruptions in the organization of canteen meals, or lack of proper preventive work, the management of educational institutions and responsible persons bear personal responsibility before the law.

To coordinate this work at the local level, separate specialized departments — Offices for the Protection of Children’s Rights — are being created in the structure of akimats. They directly coordinate interaction between schools, guardianship, psychological services, and social institutions. To reduce the workload on specialists and improve the quality of work, a strict staffing standard for guardianship bodies has been approved for the first time at the legislative level: at least one inspector per 5,000 children.

Thus, the comprehensive approach laid down in the Concept “Children of Kazakhstan” allows transforming disparate support measures into a unified, transparent, and technological ecosystem.

Financing infrastructure, direct payments, digital vouchers, and targeted accounts in the National Fund — all this is long-term state investment in the country’s human capital. For its part, the Government will continue to keep issues of child protection, creating a safe and developmental environment under special control, consistently scaling successful pilot projects and strengthening institutional guarantees for every young citizen of Kazakhstan.

#Education #Finance #Healthcare #President's instruction #Social Security

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