Family and children
Municipal nurseries on ISEE-based fees with limited places, almost free pre-school from age 3; online school enrolment in January-February. Free paediatrician up to 14, INPS universal child allowance, maternity, paternity and parental leave.
Sections: Early childhood · Schools · Parents · Activities · Moving with children
Nursery, pre-school, enrolment
Early-childhood services (ages 0–3) are municipal nurseries, with fees proportional to ISEE and waiting lists in many cities, subsidised private nurseries and fully private ones; coverage is far higher in the Centre-North than in the South. From age 3 state or municipal pre-school is free except for the canteen and takes in almost all children. Enrolment in pre-school and all state schools is done online on the Ministry of Education platform, normally between January and February for the following year; those arriving mid-year go straight to the school, which is obliged to admit foreign minors. Children who do not speak Italian are placed in the class matching their age with language workshops.
Paediatrician and children's health
Every child registered with the National Health Service is entitled to a free paediatrician (pediatra di libera scelta) up to age 14 (extendable to 16): the choice is made at the ASL or online among paediatricians with free places in the district of residence. Vaccinations in the national schedule are free and some are compulsory for nursery and pre-school enrolment. The paediatrician prescribes specialist visits and medicines and issues certificates for school and sport; for out-of-hours emergencies there are the on-call service (guardia medica) and paediatric emergency departments. Children's registration with the SSN follows that of their parents (see the Health section).
Child allowance and other support
The universal child allowance (assegno unico e universale, AUU), run by INPS, is the main financial support for dependent children: it is paid from the seventh month of pregnancy up to age 21 (no age limit for children with disabilities), with an amount depending on ISEE and number of children, and granted at a minimum level even without ISEE. It can be claimed by Italian, EU and non-EU citizens holding a work or long-term residence permit, resident in Italy for a minimum period and subject to income tax. The application is filed online with SPID/CIE or through a patronato. Many municipalities and regions add nursery contributions (INPS nursery bonus, reduced fees) and school textbook subsidies.
Leave
Female employees have a compulsory maternity leave of five months, normally two before and three after the birth (or one and four, or all five after with a medical certificate), with an INPS allowance of 80% of pay, often topped up to 100% by collective agreements. An employed father has a compulsory leave of ten days paid at 100%. Parental leave is an additional period available to both parents in the child's first twelve years, partly paid and for a number of months set by law; self-employed women and professionals have different protections through INPS or professional funds. There is also leave for a child's illness and, for children with severe disabilities, the permits of law 104.
Living with children
Italy has few children and one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, but is culturally welcoming to families: children are welcome in restaurants and public spaces, cities have many playgrounds and grandparents are often part of the daily organisation. The weak points are school hours (many schools close at lunchtime or early afternoon, and school is shut from June to September), the cost and scarcity of nurseries in the South, and the difficulty of combining full-time work and care without a family network. Municipal and parish summer camps partly cover the closure months.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-04-30
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