A Village To Grow Up Together, Italy

Italy has experienced a sharp increase in families living in poverty and social exclusion. The country’s child poverty rate has increased from 3.9% to 12.1% over the last decade, affecting 1.2 million children. We responded with The Human Safety Net – Ora di Futuro, an initiative that connects three Italian NGOs, supporting families through 11 centres located in Milan, Turin, Genoa, Trieste, Rome, Naples, Palermo and Bologna. The three partners are Fondazione Albero della Vita, Centro per la Salute del Bambino Onlus (CSB) and Fondazione Mission Bambini, each contributing with expertise and the best approaches for serving vulnerable communities in their area.

In Trieste, CSB created “Un Villaggio per Crescere” (A Village to Grow Up Together), an open hub where parents and other caregivers can spend quality time together with their children, facilitated by experienced professionals. The activities are simple, yet have a proven impact on children’s development, showing parents how to positively interact with their children and create networks in the community. The offer includes reading, playing, musical experiences, gardening, appropriate use of digital technologies and artistic expression.