Convenors- 

Stefania Sabatinelli, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano

The multiple crises brought about by the covid-19 pandemic, the manifold war and humanitarian crises, the eco-social transition and the energy crises have severe impacts, as well as long-term implications, for children, for their families as well as at societal level. At the same time, recent and current initiatives, like the European NextGenerationEU plan and the Child Guarantee program, have conveyed a renewed attention around the conditions of children and new resources to pursue their rights and wellbeing. 

The ‘educating communities’ – the diversified networks of local actors working with and for children – can play a fundamental role in pursuing inclusion of children and their families, their equal opportunities to access high quality ECEC, out-of-school-hours and other services, as well as in preventing and contrasting children’s poverty and educational poverty. 

Following the challenges posed by the intertwined abovementioned crises, several innovations have been observed both in the contents and approaches of the interventions developed, in the public-private partnerships or networks underpinning them, and/or in the planning strategies and in the multi-level governance arrangements fostering such interventions.

The panel welcomes papers reflecting on both challenges and innovations for the pursue of children’s rights and wellbeing, in one specific context or comparing more than one national or regional/local case. Especially welcome are papers that combine theoretical reflections and empirical evidence.