The P.I.P.P.I. Programme – Programme of Intervention for the Prevention of Institutionalization – was launched at the end of 2010 as the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Research and Intervention Laboratory in Family Education of the University of Padua, the 10 Italian Cities receiving a share of the fund under Law No. 285/1997, and the social services, as well as the services for the protection of children, such as private social cooperatives, schools, and companies managing the health services of the involved local authorities.

The programme represents an attempt to create a link among different institutions (Ministry, University, Local Authorities) sharing the same mission of promoting the common good, as well as among professions and disciplines in the areas of social service, psychology and educational sciences, that only together can face the challenge of reducing the number of children living out of their families.

The Programme pursues the aim of innovating the actions for the so-called “negligent families”, in order to reduce the risk of maltreatment and the consequent removal of children from their families of origin. The primary objective is therefore to increase the safety of children and improve the quality of their development, according to the mandate provided for by Law No. 149/2001.