A new space to identify needs: “With the families” comes to the hospital

The “With the families” project of the Valter Baldaccini Foundation is a parenting-support initiative designed for families who have recently welcomed a baby and are facing a difficult period.

The project aims to guarantee every child “the best possible start” by nurturing the relationships children develop with their parents, extended family, surrounding environment, and the community in which they live.

This support initiative is carried out in collaboration with the professionals of the Subasio Foligno Family Counseling Center of the Umbria 2 Health District and the educators of the La Tenda Social Cooperative.

Raising awareness of the project to reach vulnerable families

One of the project’s goals is to identify and support an increasing number of families experiencing difficult situations.

For this reason, it has been essential over the years to introduce and explain the With Families project to professionals working in Foligno and the surrounding area through numerous public and private meetings aimed at pediatricians, nursery educators, and sector professionals. The most recent of these was the conference “Dalla parte delle famiglie” attended by several physicians from the Pediatric Department of Foligno Hospital.

Collaboration with the Pediatric Department of San Giovanni Battista Hospital in Foligno

Following that meeting and subsequent discussions with the Director of the Pediatric Department, Dr. Maurizio Radicioni, a new development of the "With the families" project was established.

The initiative involves the participation of Dr. Marta Franci during certain outpatient activities and appointments organized by the department.

Dr. Franci is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Valter Baldaccini Foundation and part of the "With the families" project team. She is a psychologist and psychotherapist specializing in early relationships, caregiver support, and support for the care system within which the child is situated.

 After two introductory sessions presenting the project to staff from both the Pediatric and Obstetrics Departments of Foligno Hospital, the collaborative program began.

 Twice a month, Dr. Franci joins medical consultations with families and newborn children to:

• Raise hospital staff awareness of observing and interpreting family relationships, including providing guidance for the creation of an internal observation procedure.
• Develop a framework of relational risk and protective indicators useful to the department in assessing both young patients, their caregivers, and the broader care system.
• Provide support to families, including practical advice.
• Identify additional families who may benefit from the home-visiting services offered through the "With the families" project.
• Develop best practices that integrate psychological and relational elements alongside traditional healthcare considerations.
• Strengthen best practices among perinatal care professionals.

Dr. Marta Franci’s Experience at Foligno Hospital

"Together with the families involved in the With Families project, we seek to build or strengthen a network of family relationships around the child. Together with the professionals in the Pediatric Department, we work to develop or reinforce the ability to observe and interact with both the child and their caregivers. The hospital partnership experience is now halfway through its planned course. So far, together with pediatricians Dr. Vagliasindi and Dr. Pacitto, we have observed more than 30 children ranging in age from 3 days to 9 months.

Older brothers and sisters have sometimes taken part in these meetings, actively participating in observing their younger siblings and recognizing the babies’ early abilities, as well as the notable regulatory capacities of the older children themselves. The parents involved have welcomed these observations with interest and curiosity, particularly because they focus on their children’s abilities and provide anticipatory guidance regarding the developmental journey of both the child and the family.

 It is always remarkable to observe how a baby only a few days old can already orient toward the face of their mother, father, or sibling. It is equally moving to see how every child expresses a unique need for comfort. Once that need is understood, life becomes easier both for the child and for the parents caring for them”.