The initiative promotes a nationwide network of early childhood education services with extensive local coverage by strengthening existing facilities and creating new ones, in order to support parenthood and female employment.

The innovative model, developed through a pilot programme involving nine major Italian companies, is designed to support work–life balance through effective cooperation between the public and private sectors.

The ‘Cresciamo il Futuro’ Foundation and the Minister for the Family, Birth Rate and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, have signed a letter of intent to promote and develop at national level the innovative model of a network of widespread company nurseries as a key means of supporting parenthood and improving work–life balance. As a first concrete step arising from this shared vision, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Department for Family Policies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – represented by the Head of the Department, Gianfranco Costanzo – and the ‘Cresciamo il Futuro’ Foundation, represented by its President, Luciano Sale.

The agreement is based on the recognition that the family plays a fundamental role in society, and that the ability to reconcile family responsibilities with professional commitments is essential to promoting equal opportunities, supporting parenthood and countering demographic decline. Nurseries play a crucial role in children’s development, providing an educational environment that supports the growth of social and relational skills through interaction, play and shared experiences with peers.

The initiative builds on a successful pilot project launched by the Foundation’s member companies — A2A, Engineering, Eni, FiberCop, Fincantieri, Intesa Sanpaolo, ITA Airways, Leonardo and Open Fiber — which have established a widespread network of company nurseries, demonstrating the model’s effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

“The pilot experience of the widespread company nursery model, presented and discussed as a best practice at the recent National Conference on Childhood and Adolescence, now calls for implementation on a broader scale,” the Memorandum states. It adds that “the expansion of early childhood education services, also supported by measures under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), represents a strategic lever to encourage women’s participation in the workforce and support work–life balance.”

The agreement sets out a framework for cooperation across several strategic objectives:

• strengthening policies to support families and parenthood, child wellbeing and work–life balance;

• developing a national network of existing company nurseries and making them accessible not only to employees’ children but also to local communities and other interested companies, in a public–private partnership approach;

• encouraging the creation of new early childhood education services in areas where provision is currently limited;

• enabling families to choose the facility that best meets their logistical needs, including in the context of flexible and remote working models, while ensuring high quality standards in teaching and inclusiveness, particularly for children from vulnerable backgrounds.

Under the agreement, the ‘Cresciamo il Futuro’ Foundation will define access criteria, the governance model for the network and a dedicated digital platform to support its management. The Foundation also commits to maintaining rigorous teaching and safety standards and to launching targeted initiatives to expand the network further.

According to the Memorandum there is no financial burden on the budget of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Department for Family Policies will support the initiative through strategic communication activities aimed at businesses — to encourage participation and integration into the network — and at families, to raise national awareness of the ‘Cresciamo il Futuro’ initiative.

For the Minister for the Family, Birth Rate and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, this is “a virtuous example of subsidiarity. Our government has placed the family, birth rate and work–life balance among its priorities since its first day in office”, the Minister noted, adding that “it is however clear that this challenge requires everyone's involvement, starting with local communities, workers and companies. The network of widespread nurseries turns this shared commitment into practical action and reflects the understanding that a society that supports children and parenthood is essential to building the future.”

“The signing of this memorandum represents a moment of great value for our Foundation and for all the companies that are part of it. The model of widespread company nurseries stems from a concrete need: to support families, promote women’s participation in the labour market and make a tangible contribution to demographic sustainability. This project brings together social responsibility, innovation and public–private cooperation, and demonstrates how workers and companies can play an active role in collective wellbeing.” commented Luciano Sale, President of the ‘Cresciamo il Futuro’ Foundation and HR & Real Estate Manager at Fincantieri.