Social rental points offering essential newborn items have opened across all districts of St. Petersburg, according to an announcement made by Governor Alexander Beglov on July 18. The initiative aims to provide support to families in need throughout the city.

The free rental service is specifically targeted at single-parent families, student families, large families, low-income families, families with children under guardianship, families with children with disabilities, and families where one or both parents are unemployed or have a disability.

The rental program offers 22 different types of essential items for children up to one and a half years old. These include standard baby strollers, convertible strollers, convertible strollers for twins, cribs with mattresses, folding playpen-beds, crib bumpers, changing tables, changing chests of drawers, changing boards, high chairs, baby bathtubs, baby playpens, baby walkers, car seats (including those for infants and children over six months), baby scales, newborn loungers, baby monitors, carrying bags, and ergonomic backpacks.

The rental points are based at Family and Children Social Assistance Centers, as well as the Crisis Center for Women, across St. Petersburg. The items were purchased using federal and regional budget funds through the national “Family” project.

The St. Petersburg Committee on Social Policy has stated that the items will undergo sanitary treatment and disinfection, with the possibility of free home delivery, subsidized by the federal budget. Additionally, district administrations will provide informational materials, manuals, and videos for users of the items.

Newborn items are issued for a period of six months, with the possibility of extension.

Families seeking assistance can contact the Family and Children Assistance Center in their district of residence, with phone numbers available in the St. Petersburg government group on VK. If a specific item is unavailable at the local center, a request can be made to another institution.

To receive the items, families must submit an application and provide supporting documents. These documents include passports, child’s birth certificate, registration information for parents, and documents confirming their social status (e.g., proof of multiple children, guardianship, student status, or single-parent status). A contract will be signed outlining the terms of the temporary free use of the items.

The Committee on Social Policy estimates that 10,000 families in St. Petersburg will benefit from this free social service in 2025, with the goal of supporting families with children and increasing the birth rate.