Foster care
Foster care is a temporary solution that guarantees that the child shall receive affection and care while waiting to be reintegrated into a family.
Foster care with Ai.Bi.
Our Association organises briefing meetings and tutorials for families who wish to become foster families.
The nurturing network
We promote the activation of a nurturing network, through the development of Family Services Centres and Foster homes.
Would you like to know more?
Below it is possible to find more information on foster care, Foster homes and family services centres.
Foster care is a temporary solution for children with distressed families. It can have a maximum duration of two years, and can be prolonged.
It is obtained through social services, acting on the basis of the instructions by the Judiciary.
Everyone can become a foster parent: married couples, cohabitating couples, singles, and relatives.
Different kinds of foster care
There are several kinds of foster care, applicable according to the child’s family situation.
- Judicial foster care: this is ordered by the Courts upon request by the social services.
- Consensual foster care: organised upon request by the biological family to the social services.
Foster care may be:
- Daytime or part-time: when it is limited to a few hours a day or for brief periods.
- Residential: when the child lives with the foster family.
How to become foster parents
In order to become foster parents, it is necessary to contact social services.
A specialised team shall evaluate the application on the basis of the child’s specific needs.
The foster family has the right to receive a cash contribution, as well as specific insurance coverage to contribute to the child’s living expenses.
The foster parents enjoy the same benefits with regard to leaves of absence and days off as biological parents.
A child’s waiting time outside of a family must be spent in an environment that can restore the child’s feeling of safety and protection, which is essential for growing up and developing a healthy social and individual identity.
In a Foster Home, a mother and a father welcome up to six distressed children for a while. The children live in a happy environment, where they can play, enjoy themselves and study.
Customised life projects
People who decide to become Foster parents are supported by a skilled staff. One or more professional educators, co-ordinated by a manager and supported by a psychologist, follow the daily activities of the structure’s guests.
We create a customised life project for every child, one that emphasises the reintegration within the child’s original family. If this is impossible, we promote foster care and adoption.
A nurturing network
The Foster home is included in a nurturing network, which is the foundation of the Pan di Zucchero system. This is a true solidarity network, built thanks to the support of voluntary operators from the association and the active participation of the families.
The Family Support Centre is a place where it is possible to share ideas, responsibilities, experiences, and where everybody can become a resource for the others, through the things he or she can contribute.
The structure offers some play areas, where small and big children can learn, grow and enjoy themselves thanks to play workshops, as well as adult areas, where the families can exchange their views on the growth of their children.
The Family Support Centres in Italy:
Pan di zucchero Family Services Centre – Rome
Fidarsi della vita Family Services Centre – Milan
Pan di zucchero Family Services Centre – Vizzolo Predabissi (MI)