Supporting the voluntary guardianship system in Italy

Voluntary guardians in Italy are private citizens who act on a voluntary basis as the legal representatives of unaccompanied and separated children. Despite the welcomed implementation of the 2017 reform introducing this new role in Italy, voluntary guardianship is considered as being still fragile.

In order to address this, the EPIM Never Alone Fund in Italy is supporting a pilot project consisting of three partnerships in three Italian regions (Piedmont, Tuscany and Sicily). The pilot project aims to develop and share practical tools to strengthen the capacities of volunteer guardians in their work with unaccompanied and separated children in their transition to adulthood and with young adults.

The three partnerships consist of the following organisations:

• In Piemonte: Coop. Sociale Esserci, Associazione Frantz Fanon, Fiordaliso – Rifugiati in rete, Cambaleche, Comunità di Sant’Egidio Piemonte Onlus
• In Toscana: Coop. Sociale Oxfam Intercultura, Oxfam Italia, Associazione dei tutori volontari dei minori stranieri non accompagnati della Regione Toscana, Centro Nazionale per il Volontariato, Centro studi Sagara, Gruppo Cooperativo Co&So
• In Sicilia: Coop. Soc. Fo.Co. Onlus, Accoglierete, Centro Studi Penc, Consiglio Italiano per i Rifugiati Onlus, Coop. Sociale Oxfam Intercultura, Istituto Opera Don Calabria

Picture Credit: Poolhert Productions