Рассмотрены понятие и характеристики коллективных сетей поддержки многодет-ных семей в России. Такие сети могут носить «живой» и «виртуальный» характер, а отношения в них могут отличаться степенью формализации. Коллективные сети поддержки многодетных осуществляют трансферты различных реципроктных ресурсов – материальных, информационных, консультационно-представительских, досуговых, психологических. Large families are one of the most vulnerable social groups in Russian society due to the deterioration of their socioeconomic situation with the birth of each subsequent child. This situation makes them need to seek help not only from formal social institutions (primarily state ones) for help, but also to engage a wide range of informal ties. Despite quite a lot of research in this area, a single definition of the concept of social networks and support networks has not been worked out. Collective social networks of large family support are based on interactions between agents not related by blood relations. “Live” support networks for large families can have varying degrees of formalization: these can be informal “interest clubs” or formalized (officially registered) public associations. The second version of multi-child family support networks is “virtual” networks, which can be specialized in nature – aimed exclusively at large families, or focus on some area, for example, parenthood. Formalization of the social support network allows it to attract more agents and resources. Collective social networks can be quite diverse in terms of their characteristics – size, geographic concentration, etc. The scale of such networks can vary significantly – from local to regional and federal. The key elements of support networks are social agents. Recipients in collective social networks of large family support are, first of all, large families that find themselves in difficult life circumstances. Donors may be commercial and non-profit organizations, authorities and institutions, as well as individual households (including large families themselves). In some cases, recipients become “exchanging” or donors over time. Reciprocal transfers in collective support networks for large families are quite diverse. The main resources of reciprocal exchanges are: services aimed at protecting the rights of large families; information; material resources (products, clothes, shoes, other things); intangible resources related to the organization of communication, leisure and training, psychological support.