BOLOGNA INSIDE Second Edition - IWF Bologna

graduatoria (ranking), a list prioritizing entrance according to need. Low income, singleparent
households, children with disabilities, working parents without other relatives, and
siblings, all contribute to a preferential spot on the list.
PRIVATE DAY CARE OPTIONS
There are many private day care centers in Bologna for those who do not get a place at a
public asilo nido. A list of approved centers that have a number of places at public prices
is included with the registration packet. For older children, there are a few preschools
that have a day care section – they are called sezioni primavera (spring section) and
information is obtained by contacting the participating school directly. For those who do
not require full-time day care, there are also a few centers that offer morning care two
or three days a week. Bologna also offers two types of mini day care, small groups of two
to five children that meet either at a private home or in an authorized center. For more
information about these additional services consult the city’s website.
DAY CARE: WHAT TO EXPECT
Most children are dropped off between 8 and 9 in the morning and picked up by 17 in
the afternoon. For children older than 1 year, it is possible to extend these hours either in
the morning (from 7:30) and/or in the evening (until 18). Some day care offer a part-time
service with pick-up midday.
Much of the day is spent playing under the supervision of well-trained staff. In the
Italian school system there is no teaching in the traditional sense until elementary
school. Children in the medi and grandi sections, however, often have access to children’s
theater, libraries and numerous arts and crafts. Children who stay the whole day are put
down for a nap; the babies have cribs while older children use low cots. Staff regularly
change diapers and help with toilet training. Activities (mostly bowel movements and
eating) are recorded and can be reviewed each day when you pick up your child.
Most day care have their own kitchens and prepare fresh food daily. Children eat a snack
of fresh fruit mid-morning, a hot lunch, and for those who stay all day, a mid-afternoon
snack. The menu is posted each calendar month along with any variations. Even picky
Italian parents agree that day care centers provide a healthy and varied menu.
Expect your child to get sick once he or she starts day care. While a simple cold, runny
nose or cough poses no problem, your child will be sent home if he or she has any of the
Take heart: I’m a foreigner, I have two kids,
and I have never failed to get my kids in the
nido, materna or elementary school that I
wanted. I myself have been attending the
Accademia di Belle Arti - Scuola di Nudo
(as an auditor) for several years now, taking
advantage of what higher education offers
here too.
Elizabeth Garvey
101