[Italy] New Italian Child Poverty Network to Focus on Inclusion and Well-being

Eurochild member, Fondazione L’Albero della Vita, together with Consiglio dell’Ordine degli assistenti sociali (CNOAS), and Associazioni Cristiane Lavoratori (ACLI), have established a new coalition to tackle child poverty in Italy.

Ivano Abbruzzi, President of Fondazione L’Albero della Vita, says that the network will start in March 2019 and will focus on children’s wellbeing in relation to education.

 ‘The work of the network will based on the “Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage” recommendation developed by the European Commission in 2013. Investing in children is a priority, and in the future we will be able to create legislation that will protect children from abuse and ensure health, family support, education…We want to propose concrete measures for the country.’ Said Ivano Abbruzzi.

Gianluca Budano of ACLI explains that the Italian Government has intervened many times to tackle child poverty and increase children’s wellbeing with new laws and services, but in a ‘fragmented’ way. In Italy, one child out of eight is in absolute poverty. The new network aims to gather knowledge and experience in order to develop a national platform with a holistic approach that would help prevent institutions and policy makers from making mistakes or applying too narrow a perspective.

Gianmario Gazzi, President of CNOAS, mentions the need for the new network to work on the ‘Citizens’ Income scheme’, which is a new poverty-relief scheme that runs the risk of not focusing on the needs of families and children. ‘We hope the Government will listen to the civil society who have years of experience and know the problems that families and children living in poverty face’.