Millions of children live and grow up in the world without parental care. Millions of children live in institutes very often in poor conditions and subject to violence. Millions of young people without parental care suffer of social exclusion when left institutes.

In Europe, despite the lack of data, it can be estimated that one million children without parental care are taken into public care as well as, despite most countries recognise negative consequences of placement in institutions, the number of children in residential care is stable or rising in several EU members[1].

Amici dei Bambini promotes its mission of giving a family to every child through the realisation of on-field projects in many countries. But on-field projects alone are not often enough when facing this humanitarian emergency.  It is necessary to act in order to begin cultural and social changes as well.

For answering to this necessity, Amici dei Bambini has decided to implement a Cultural Area in 2006 aimed at analysing - through specific research projects and social experimentations - the different aspects of abandonment and thus influencing public institutions and civil society in order to promote a "welcome culture": in fact abandoned child is a responsibility for each one of us and his future depends also upon our actions bearing in mind that not the State, not the institutions can "heal" the pain of abandonment, but family is the only adequate "therapy" for every abandoned child.

Thus, Amici dei Bambini has committed itself - together and thanks also to the financial support of European Commission- in European projects aiming at researching on specific topics (young care-leavers, foster care, violence in institutions, adoption, etc.) and at promoting - starting from results obtained - innovative social policies and cultural awareness of the problem.

This newsletter wants simply to give you information on our projects and results; it doesn't want to separate on-going initiatives by specific thematic or specific donors since the idea that each initiative is part of a general commitment to fighting abandonment and proposing innovative social answers; it wants finally to share information in order to create possible new fruitful exchanges.

For further information please write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thank you from Amici dei Bambini's Cultural Area,

Monica Barbarotto

Filippo Agostino

Michele Curami

Lorenzo Marfisi

Alessandro Negro

[1] Eurochild 2010 "Children in alternative care - National surveys", p.7.