The title of the conference - organised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies [7], in Bari from 27 to 28 March 2014 - Investing in childhood, recalls the importance of investing in children in terms of economic return to the community. A central issue in the debate on childhood and adolescence, a crucial thread linking the themes of the four parallel sessions of the conference:

• Children and family poverty
• Children and young people outside their families
• From integration to inclusion
• Early childhood education services: equal opportunities at the start?

The conference proceedings are published in issue 30 of social research Notebooks [8].

Visit the conference website [9]