Agreement signed between the Order of Psychologists and Save the Children on the psychological wellbeing of children

Protecting the health of children and adolescents is a top priority. The National Council of the Order of Psychologists (CNOP) and Save the Children have signed a three-year framework agreement to promote psychological wellbeing and protect the rights of children, adolescents and families, with a particular focus on vulnerable households and women who are pregnant or in the perinatal period. “The agreement brings together the scientific and professional expertise of the Italian psychology community and the on-the-ground experience of the organisation committed to defending children’s rights.”

Areas of collaboration include: early prevention from the first thousand days of life; support for parenting and perinatal care; combating educational deprivation, violence and neglect; the training of psychologists, educators and teachers; research and the development of shared guidelines to promote the informed and responsible use of technology by young people”, reads a statement. “The psychological wellbeing of children is built from the first thousand days of life, within relationships, families, schools and communities. With Save the Children, we combine the scientific rigour of psychology with a tangible presence in the local areas where hardship arises and grows, often in silence. It is a partnership that sends a clear message to institutions: investing in prevention and psychological support for children is not a cost; it is the most forward-thinking of public policies. “No child, no family should be left to face hardship alone,” says Maria Antonietta Gulino, president of the CNOP.

“The agreement signed today represents an important step towards strengthening our collaboration with CNOP, a leading partner with whom we share a commitment to promoting the psychological and psychosocial wellbeing of children and adolescents. We are convinced that, thanks to the expertise and experience of our organisations, we will be able to develop tangible synergies and help to promote a culture of psychological and psychosocial wellbeing linked to the rights of children and young people, both within society and at an institutional level,” said Giorgia D’Errico, Director of Institutional Relations at Save the Children, the organisation that has been fighting for over 100 years to save children at risk and secure a future for them. The agreement provides for joint technical committees and thematic working groups, with regular monitoring meetings, and may lead to operational protocols and specific projects in the fields of education, health, social services and community work.