The nursery opens every day at 7.30am and closes at 6.30pm, parents can use the extended service even on a one-off basis and the children are looked after with care and professionalism. All free, twelve months a year. It’s not a dream, it’s all true. In fact, in Bedonia (Parma) the mothers smile, they are always celebrating, not only on May 10th: «Being a mother is already beautiful in itself, but when the services come to you it is infinitely more beautiful». What makes the small municipality of the Alta Val di Taro the country of mothers is the Childhood 365 project, an integrated educational model that the administration has built to support families, providing – in fact – the continuous opening of services, the elimination of costs – net of meals and thanks to the INPS contribution – and a solid pedagogical coherence between nursery and nursery school.
“There may be little here, but we have everything we need for children,” says Jessica Caraboni, mother of a three-year-old and another on the way. Originally from a nearby municipality, Jessica and her partner chose to live in Bedonia precisely because of the favorable context. «The nursery gives me peace of mind and is a great support, as is the knowledge that for my son I am not the only adult of reference: in the village everyone keeps an eye on everyone’s children». In the same vein, Eleonora, originally from Rome and arrived in Bedonia for the same reason: «With families far away, the nursery is always open and vital. It’s not just a question of timetables, I feel the added value of being accompanied by competent educators.”
The experiences of the mothers and the statistical data prove the mayor, Gianpaolo Serpagli, 44 years old, creator of Infanzia 365, right: «Since the start of the project in 2019, nursery enrollments have more than tripled. Suffering from high commuting for work, we knew that without an adequate service families would leave, so we chose to intervene in a structural way.” The investment – the annual cost of the service is 382,350 euros, of which 151,552 euros paid by the Municipality (against state and regional contributions of 147,244 euros and fees of 83,554 euros), which is also responsible for the 30 thousand euros of utilities – is, in short, bearing fruit. The service is managed by the Proges cooperative of Parma, which also offers training and discussion meetings: a godsend for mothers. Because if they all recognize a very precious gift in children, they all also agree in recognizing how motherhood is a delicate phase of life, partly due to the commitment of caregiving, partly due to the emotional and existential changes that every woman goes through. «As a mother I say that support is essential. Following the little ones in their daily progress is a unique emotion, but motherhood is also made up of tiredness”, confirms Jessica. “Society wants perfect mothers, capable of simultaneously educating, working and taking care of the home, but the reality is different, I’m wary of those who say everything is rosy.” The personal and couple’s balance “needs to be rebuilt”, adds Eleonora; “luckily in the village I feel considered as a person, there is a community that doesn’t make me feel alone.”
When her son runs towards her, Francesca smiles and it seems her heart opens wide. «I work as an employee in Parma, 80 kilometers away from home, three times a week I take the bus and train. Being able to leave the child with the teachers at 7.30 allows me to arrive at the office on time. In routine and in emergencies, the nursery is indispensable.” Martina also has a similar experience, who lives in a neighboring town but chose the Bedonia nursery for her son: «I work in a shop and my partner works shifts, although I can count on the help of a grandfather and an aunt, we “married” Infanzia 365 and we feel we did well». Elisa, a primary school teacher, nods while caressing her belly: she is expecting her second child who – it goes without saying – like her brother, will attend the Bellentani nursery in Bedonia. «With children it happens that you feel at fault. For me, for example, accepting that I had to integrate breastfeeding with artificial feeding was hard. By worrying about others we risk getting lost, we need to preserve time for ourselves. Second pregnancy? You feel ready when you’re well, and the services certainly make the difference.”
Mothers’ needs are similar everywhere. In addition to sharing the joys and challenges of parenthood with your partner, to face motherhood peacefully you need a network of relationships and help. Conversely, loneliness, frustration, a sense of inadequacy and depression may be around the corner. In addition to the nursery, mothers are also accompanied in Bedonia by the presence of two paediatricians of free choice, the local clinic in a nearby municipality and general attention to the world of childhood. Even summer, the most difficult season for families due to the general closure of services, is family friendly in Bedonia. The Municipality organizes the free summer center for children and young people up to secondary school: a service also open to holidaymakers (for them, for a fee), while among the public events there is no shortage of readings and workshops for children.
Here the mothers are happy because they are not alone, therefore, not because everything is easy or natural. «Being a mother is not the only achievement for a woman but it is a unique experience of love», adds Jessica Lezoli, speech therapist. «A mother “won” when her child is well and calm, not when she turns into a heroine». Away with the unrealistic idea of being able to do everything, and everything alone, away with the perfect mother syndrome: you only celebrate when motherhood is a team game. The African proverb comes to mind: “It takes a village to raise a child”. Bedonia demonstrates that a municipality, however small, can do great things when it decides to put families at the centre. «Now the objective is to expand the project to the 6-11 year age group», concludes the mayor. From mothers’ country to mothers’ paradise, in short.
