PIPPI Programma di Intervento per la Prevenzione dell’Istituzionalizzazione (Intervention Programme for the Prevention of Institutionalisation) was established at the end of 2010.

It was the result of collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the University of Padua’s Laboratory of Research and Intervention in Family Education, 10 Italian cities (reserve holders of the fund of Law 285/1997), and the social services.

It also involved specific child protection and guardianship entities, such as private social cooperatives, schools, and the companies that manage local authority health services.

The 10 cities that took part in the first experiment were: Bari, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Turin, and Venice.

The Programme aims to innovate intervention practices towards so-called negligent families in order to reduce the risk of maltreatment and the consequent removal of children from their family.

The primary objective is to improve children’s safety and the quality of their development, in accordance with the mandate of Law 149/2001.