Il supporto sociale informale: esperienze e prospettive in P.I.P.P.I. - Programma di Intervento Per Prevenire l’Istituzionalizzazione

Abstract

The informal social support is part of the interventions envisaged in the national programme P.I.P.P.I. (Programme of Intervention for Prevention of Institutionalization), launched in 2010 by the Italian Ministry of Welfare in collaboration with University of Padua. P.I.P.P.I. involves to date 123 cities, for 2,000 children that are experimenting new strategies in order to prevent out-of-home placement. Since the studies in this field and since the neurobiology findings on the positive relationship between social support and parents’ positive behaviours and then between the social relationships and cognitive, emotional and social development of the child, the article explores the theories of informal social support and considers them in relation to the P.I.P.P.I. experiences. The aim is to identify effective strategies, in order to enhance social relationships and responding to problems connected to child neglect.