Law No. 285/1997 and related documents

This section collects all the information and materials relating to the activities aimed at implementing Law No 285/1997.

Law No. 285 of 28 August 1997 establishing Provisions for the promotion of rights and opportunities for childhood and adolescence established a special national Fund to be allocated for interventions in favour of children and adolescents carried out by local administrations. Today the Fund is divided among 15 Cities receiving a reserved share of it according to the purposes defined by the law. Among the instruments promoted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies for the successful implementation of Law No.285/1997, particularly worth mentioning are the Coordination Committee of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and the Cities receiving a reserved share of the fund, and the Projects Database.

The use of the fund is subject to the periodic monitoring of the projects carried out by the local authorities, while encouraging the exchange of experiences and the organization of opportunities for an in-depth analysis contributing to the improvement of policies for children.

As part of an annual activity plan financed with the funds established under the above mentioned Law, the Coordination Committee – to which the Istituto degli Innocenti provides technical and scientific advice – develops specific in-depth studies, identifies areas of innovative experimentation, or promotes ad hoc surveys  to show the characteristics of the cities’ policies in this sector.