L'Affido professionale: tra partnership e rete

The paper presents the case study of an innovative type of foster care, realized in partnership by the Province of Milan and four co-operatives. It is a complex intervention, aimed at creating favourable conditions for integrating in foster families even the ‘problem children’, for whom usually there is no alternative to institutionalisation. This service differs from the traditional foster care because families are engaged in an intensive training course, accompanied throughout the foster care by a tutor and participate in a mutual aid group. Since these families have to make considerable efforts, the service identifies a contact person within the family, who must give up his / her full time job and gets a financial compensation. The sociological interest around this service is mainly related to the fact that it is a "good practice", particularly because of the virtuous partnership between public and social private: the relationship between individual stakeholders is marked by trust, reciprocity, a great ability to cooperate and make shared plans. All subjects brings into play their resources and expertise to carry out a service where the relationship and the ability to network are essential at all levels, from the operational up to the management.