Unaccompanied migrant minors: A comparison of new Italian interventions models

Nadia Rania, Laura Migliorini, Lucia Fagnini - Children and Youth Services Review

Abstract

The arrival of unaccompanied migrant minors in Italy continues to increase. This phenomenon is complex with regard to both the quantity of minors to care for and the fragility, emotional stress and vulnerability of these children. Most of these minors are placed in residential care communities, which represent the classical model of intervention for Italian out-of-home children, but new projects are being developed to create new intervention models in order to improve the care of unaccompanied migrant minors. The present research aimed to describe and compare three new second-level intervention models in Italy. This work used a case study method through secondary data and individual interviews conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire with key informants (projects representatives, social workers, educators, volunteer guardians, and foster mothers). This article contributes to the growth of the literature, and it can provide interesting suggestions for new intervention models regarding the care of unaccompanied migrant minors.