WISH MI

The Wellbeing Integrated System of Milan The integrated system of policies for the well-being of minors in Milan                  

                                                                                                                                                             

The Wish MI project is financed through the European Urban Innovative Actions initiative which promotes urban development in Member States by funding innovative solutions for European cities.

The main objective of the UIA initiative is therefore to offer European urban authorities space and resources to test bold new ideas to address interconnected challenges and test how such ideas respond to the complexity of social realities. The projects to be supported must be innovative, of good quality, conceived and implemented with the involvement of interested parties, results-oriented and transferable.

Milan intends to address the urban challenges of child poverty, inequalities and segregation, through the rethinking and integration of local policies and strategies for the well-being of all children and young people. To this end, we will develop innovative and engaging solutions to improve accessibility to all available opportunities. 

We believe that the multidimensional well-being of minors is fundamental: for this reason we will work for the recognition and empowerment of Milanese children as the main actors in building the future of our city.

In the territory of the Municipality of Milan (1.380.873 residents) important changes have been underway for years which have redefined the characteristics of the social fabric, social needs and demands.

This profound evolution has moved following some trends of change:
• The aging of the population and the constant contraction of the 0-18 age group
• The increase in poverty, inequality and inequity
• The evolution of the composition and characteristics of families
• The internationalization of the city

The main challenges are represented by:

  1.     Multidimensionality of child poverty
  2.     Young families, with 3 or more minor children, are most affected: in 2018, 21.000 minors live in absolute poverty in Milan (1 child in 10). But even more minors lack food, medical care and adequate housing conditions, and spaces to gather.
  3.     Unequal access to education
  •    4.000 of children 0-6 do not have access to educational services in Milan.
  •    Ethnic and cultural segregation affects 56 schools (32 primary and 24 secondary), resulting in high failure rates and poor academic performance. 
  •  School Segregation Index (percentage of foreign children enrolled in school / foreign children living in the neighbourhood) higher than 10, due to the "white flight" phenomenon, and 10.6% school dropout rate.


Partnership
• The municipality of Milan
• Polytechnic Foundation of Milan;
• Politecnico di Milano;
• Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan;
• ActionAid;
• ABCcity

Quick Links 
• Link to the UIA program page: https://www.uia-initiative.eu/en/uia-cities/milan-call4
• Link to the Milan 0-18 page: https://www.comune.milano.it/web/milanozerodiciotto
• Link to the Milan Volunteering page: https://volontariato.comune.milano.it/
• Link to project visual identity: https://www.dcxw-milano018.org/
 


 

• Rethink, integrate and share city policies and strategies to promote the well-being of minors
• Promote the recomposition and integration of the resources and opportunities present in the city in collaborative-connective platforms
• Increase the number of children accessing available welfare opportunities
• Improve the ability to listen to the desires and needs of minors and their families and enhance their resources, skills and talents

• Construction of an integrated system of policies and strategies
• Recomposition and aggregation of well-being opportunities in a collaborative-connective digital platform
• Co-design of the system's visual identity
• Community hubs to promote at a territorial level the recomposition of opportunities and the experimentation of innovative services co-produced with minors and their families

• Greater access to city services for all minors, with particular attention to the most vulnerable groups
• Reduction in the number of minors living in poverty
• Increased access of children (0-6 years) to early education
• Lowering the school dropout rate and ensuring that more young Milanese progress in their school career within the expected time frame
• Increased social cohesion 
• Reduction of school and neighborhood segregation

Updated: 17/04/2024