Even today, in a country with advanced democracy like Italy, the rights of children and adolescents are often violated. This happens especially in unsafe or difficult family contexts, or in regions that are more vulnerable from a socio-economic perspective, often located in the South. In Southern Italy, specifically in Catania, Save the Children pursues its mission, always oriented towards children, to protect their rights through awareness initiatives and projects in synergy with other associations. The Mille Giorni Hub project, which we support, involves the development of an area with a high educational density characterized by integrated, coordinated, and multidisciplinary interventions in favor of children aged 0 to 6 and their families: an innovative experimental project that will last until 2025. The name mille giorni (a thousand days) derives precisely from the age group most targeted by the project, 0-2 years, which coincide with the first thousand days of a child's life, including the pregnancy period, which, as is now known, represents a very delicate and sensitive phase in the child's development and care process. The Hub is hosted within the municipal preschool Margherita with the aim of providing continuity to the educational experience from ages 0-3 to 3-6 (as per D.Lgl no. 65 of 2017), thus also enhancing the educational offer in the Picanello district of Catania and structuring a city model of integrated and widespread educational intervention involving nurseries, preschools, pediatricians, and public and private social actors in the area. Fundamental interlocutors who work synergistically to offer an integrated response to the needs of children, contributing to counteracting educational poverty through strong support for families. In particular, support for families begins from the moment of pregnancy, accompanying parents and children in their growth with differentiated services, such as: an integrative educational service dedicated to children aged 18 to 36 months in the morning from Monday to Friday; three weekly afternoon appointments dedicated to educational, cultural, artistic, and sports activities for children aged 0 to 6 to be done together with parents; outdoor education activities, especially in the summer season; a personalized economic support program starting from the specific needs of the child and the family called Gifts of Care; services for families and parenting support interventions through open family support desks where differentiated support actions are carried out depending on the registered need: from orientation to local services to support in defining skills and job search, from emotional support interviews for mothers and fathers experiencing fragility to psychological support interviews; a network of professional consultants to respond to specific requests in tax/administrative, legal, and socio-healthcare areas; the development of a Child Safeguarding system to ensure the training of operators and educators involved in child protection and safeguarding activities; communication and the development of a territorial system based on meetings with operators of social-healthcare and educational services in the territory. The goal is to create a virtuous growth path that helps prevent educational poverty and positively impacts contexts of great socio-economic vulnerability, offering new opportunities for learning and cultural and social development with particular attention to the most vulnerable family units. Fragile families to be accompanied and supported through paths to strengthen their parenting skills and orientation to resources and services available in the territory. The Mille Giorni Hub in Catania aims to become an educational catalyst for the community, open to children and their families, coordinated by highly professional educational figures and animated by volunteers. A unique place, open to the community. A reality capable of interacting with school institutions and the various educational agencies in the territory as central subjects in the integrated care of families, in dialogue with the socio-healthcare authorities of the municipality of Catania. Details Location: Catania Organization: Save The Children Italia Beneficiaries: 315 minors, 420 parents, and 1200 indirect beneficiaries Contribution: up to €951,657.00 Duration: July 2022 - June 2025
