Poverty: Caritas Italy-Save the Children, it affects 1 child out of 7 in the age group 0-3 years

In Italy, many are the households with children living in a state of poverty; they actually are the most disadvantaged. Paradoxically, it is precisely children aged 0 to 3 that suffer the highest rate of extreme poverty of 14.7% (versus 9.7% in the overall population). Basically, nowadays over one child out of seven aged 0 to 3 lives below an assumedly decent minimum standard. Parents are involved too, of course. Being born and raised in a poor family may be conducive to a future and to a life affected by deprivation and poverty. This has been found by a nationwide survey, jointly conducted by Caritas Italy and Save the children on a representative sample of families assisted by the Caritas network who are in a state of self-evident socioeconomic difficulty ande have children aged 0 to 3. The survey ran along two lines of research, a quantitative one and a qualitative on, and proactively involved the Caritas centres of 115 dioceses. “Our partnership with Save the Children – father Marco Pagniello, director of Caritas Italy, explains – is a good opportunity to share our own experiences in order to promote children’s rights and the good of families. It is important to be properly aware of reality, so we can develop measures, along with the local institutions and communities, to support and encourage parents with young children, especially, but not only, when their children are very young, years that are decisive for their future life”. The survey is part of a broader research called ”(Im)possible tomorrows. A nationwide survey on child poverty and aspirations”, run by Save the Children and presented today at the opening of “Impossible 2024 – Building the future of children and adolescents. Now”. Presented by Christian Morabito, senior researcher at Save the Children, and by Walter Nanni, sociologist at the Study Centre of Caritas Italy, the results of the overall survey have been discussed by a panel on the first day of Impossible 2024, with the contribution and moderation of the deputy editor of La Stampa, Annalisa Cuzzocrea, and with many guests including: father Marco Pagniello, director of Caritas Italiana; Tito Boeri, economist; Enrico Giovannini, scientific director at Asvis; Elena Goitini, general manager of Bnl and director of the Bmp Paribas Group in Italy; Matteo Lepore, mayor of Bologna; Raffaela Milano, research director at Save the Children; Mery Pagliarini, president of the association Get Up; Roberto Ricci, president of Invalsi.
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