Residential Child Care for Children and Youth in Italy: An Evolving System

This chapter describes the transition from an institution-based to a community-based approach to child welfare in Italy. Like many countries, Italy has seen a significant decline in residential placements from the early 1960s to the present. The legal and administrative developments that stimulated this shift are explored, as are some of the consequences, such as a far greater range of agencies involved, requiring strong interprofessional work. National guidelines for residential care are seen as a positive step, but implementation has been slow. Additional needs are for clearer definitions of the varieties of residential care offered and more research focused on needs and outcomes. The chapter concludes with the matrix used throughout the book, which provides information about the current policy context, key trends and initiatives, characteristics of children and youth served, preparation of residential care personnel, promising programmatic innovations, and present strengths and challenges.