Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Rabaiotti: “It is important to guarantee children a comfortable environment, the availability of La cordata is also precious in this phase”

Milan, 3 December 2020 – 'Zumbimbi' has reopened, the service that welcomes minors and single parents with children who tested positive for Covid who do not have the possibility of isolating themselves in their own home. Children reported by the Juvenile Court who live or are about to enter the city's socio-educational residential facilities will also be hosted, in case they test positive but their isolation cannot be guaranteed.

For the service, an entire floor of the social residence of the La Cordata social cooperative in via Zumbini was made safe and isolated, for a total of 12 protected rooms, in addition to four rooms reserved for operators. The structure will be able to accommodate up to a maximum of 24 minors between 6 and 17 years old, guaranteeing all health protection procedures for both guests and appropriately trained operators, educators and psychologists. To date, 3 children have been hosted, reported by the Administration. During the lockdown in March and April there were 36 in total.

“Zumbimbi pays attention to the little ones and enters the broader system which, in collaboration with ATS, follows non-independent people - intervenes the councilor for social and housing policies Gabriele Rabaiotti - that is, the disabled in via Pusiano, the elderly in Adriano and the homeless in viale Fulvio Testi. They are all reception spaces for those who, already fragile, come into contact with Covid and therefore require special attention. This one in via Zumbini is a service that we consider very useful, because it guarantees the little ones in difficulty a comfortable and reassuring environment, as well as safe from a health point of view. The collaboration with the consortium is precious and, even in this phase of the emergency, it has made itself available to the Administration and the new needs of the city".

“As in the last lockdown - explains the president of La Cordata, Claudio Bossi - we made ourselves available to the Administration and the city of Milan to reopen Zumbimbi. We have a dual responsibility, the health protection of guests and that of guaranteeing them, since they are children and adolescents, a welcome and protection that looks not only at health aspects but also at educational and psychological ones. Children, as one might imagine, experience significant trauma with the urgent removal from their home. We have also activated a network of volunteers for distance support for educational activities, homework, contacts with teachers and story readings. In short, like in March we rekindle the fire of solidarity of the Milanese to warm the hearts of the children we will welcome".

In agreement with the Municipality of Milan and with ATS, Zumbimbi can also count on the collaboration with the pediatric emergency room of the ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, which makes its doctors available for health consultancy in case of need.