Cresciamo il futuro' the national network of day nurseries is born

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies has signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of the 'Cresciamo il futuro' (Let's grow in the future) project aimed at the creation and development of the largest national network of company and private crèches for workers employed by participating companies. Thus in a note: 'with respect to corporate social responsibility, this is a concrete act with which leading Italian companies intend to combat the low birth rate phenomenon that affects our country.

The project will be in its experimental phase in 2025 and will be fully operational the following year. In the meantime, a centralised digital platform will be implemented to network company and private nurseries, integrating innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence to improve their efficiency and management, which will be accessible to all employees of the signatory companies. This initiative is intended to provide parents with a tool that will enable them to stay connected to the world of work even after the arrival of a child. The national network of crèches will allow employees to choose the most suitable facility for their children from among those belonging to the various companies signing the agreement, also depending on their place of work or residence and in line with the new smart working methods. A project that has the ambition of bringing together over time a significant number of companies and employees in our country, including the public administration, so as to improve the work life balance and the parental experience.

With an experimental and inclusive approach already in 2025, 'Growing the Future' aims to be consolidated in 2026, with prospects for further expansion in both the private sector and public administration. In the meantime, a centralised digital platform, accessible to the employees of the signatory companies, is to be set up to manage the national network of widespread nurseries in full compliance with privacy regulations. The initiative, which is part of the company welfare programmes, aims at reconciling work and private life and improving the quality of life of working parents. In fact, the national network of crèches (extendable over time to other public or private companies) will allow employees with children to choose the most suitable facility among those belonging to the various companies in the network, also depending on their place of work or residence and in line with the new smart working methods. The governance of the project will be ensured by a steering committee made up of the project's founding companies, flanked by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, which will monitor the implementation of the protocol.

The synergy between the public and private sectors will act as an accelerator for the valorisation of existing kindergartens and the construction of new facilities. The kindergartens, with verified quality standards, will be able to make use of an established pool of users and expand it, on the one hand improving organisational efficiency and, on the other hand, promoting the growth of the entire system. The governance of the project is ensured by a steering committee made up of the project's founding companies flanked by the Ministry, which will monitor the implementation of the protocol. Internal communication initiatives will be launched immediately in the companies, which will sanction the official launch of the project and the start of procedures to enrol children in the facilities.

In the presence of the Minister of Labour and Social Policies, Marina Calderone, the agreement was signed by the Head of the Department for Labour, Social Security, Insurance and Occupational Health and Safety Policies of the Ministry, Vincenzo Caridi, and the companies A2A, Engineering, Eni, FiberCop, Fincantieri, Intesa Sanpaolo, Ita airways, Leonardo, Open fibre and Towers watson Italia. A group of companies committed to parenting issues, which aims to offer fundamental support to families, facilitating work-life balance and improving the quality of life of working parents.