The Human Safety Net Joins Forces for Early Childhood Development Networks in Italy

This venue, originally a children's orphanage from the early 1400s, now houses the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre. Giorgio Tamburlini, the president of Centro per la Salute del Bambino, noted the curiosity that the original design of the orphanage included a courtyard specifically for men, a prescient concept, considering that we are still debating centuries later how to best engage male caregivers in the early years.

At the conference, The Human Safety Net showcased its For Families programme, sharing its commitment to an open net, and highlighting its unique Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) approach to the programmes. The MEL topic was also the focus of a workshop we co-facilitated, aimed at sharing insights, methodologies, and approaches across disciplines.

The event was organized in collaboration with the Istituto degli Innocenti of Florence. Key organizations involved included Con i Bambini, UNICEF, L’Albero della Vita, Gruppo Nazionale Nidi e Infanzia, Save The Children, and the University of Padua.

Anduena Alushaj, Coordinator of the " Village for Growth " project, highlighted the goal of establishing a collaborative network. This network aims to share experiences, train staff, develop a unified data collection methodology, and create partnerships with other services, enhancing support for children and families.

Centro per la Salute del Bambino established the "Village for Growth" (Un Villaggio per Crescere) project, which aims to create nurturing environments for children aged 0 to 6 and their families living in vulnerable circumstances.This initiative, co-funded by The Human Safety Net, provides essential support for responsive caregiving in 17 locations across Italy.