“The Beehive” is an integrated intervention of support and protection for vulnerable mothers and children since birth. Its aim is to ensure a healthy and balanced growth for children aged 0-3 years who live in vulnerable conditions, strengthening a scheme of early, integrated and multidimensional intervention for the most fragile families, reached out and involved through innovative and flexible methods.
The project’s activities include:
Material aid: material aid is often the first opportunity of getting in touch with families in need. Responding concretely to an urgent need is of crucial importance to establish a deal of mutual commitment and responsibility between Pianoterra and a family. The project’s material aid focuses in particular on food, with special attention to children needs for healthy and balanced growth. While promoting actively breastfeeding since pregnancy, we also provide formula milk in case breastfeeding is not possible and with the prescription of a paediatrician.
Preparation and following through pregnancy and birth: we intercept the most vulnerable families since pregnancy and offer them activities to prepare and accompany them throughout pregnancy and birth: thematic sessions on pregnancy, birth and first months of a child’s life, healthcare and wellbeing for mothers and children, breastfeeding and feeding. We also offer specialistic counselling both for individuals and for families, and “last-minute pre-birth courses” if parents couldn’t follow a proper course of preparation for birth.
Support after birth: once the child is born, we offer sessions with experts on children healthcare and education, and psychological support to individuals, families and groups. We also offer a space with toys and books, where children are taken care of by educators while their mothers participate in activities. If a new mother cannot reach our office to attend in presence, we offer a service of home visiting with a psychologist.
“The Beehive” is funded by Waldensian Churches through their “8×1000” campaign.
