Verso il disgelo? Continuità e trasformazioni delle politiche familiari in Italia nell’ultimo decennio

After decades of substantial neglect in the political agenda, family policies in Italy have recently undergone significant reforms, leading to a partial redesign of their overall configuration. These transformations, albeit varying in scope, have impacted all three main areas of family policy: childcare services, economic support for families with children, and, to a lesser extent, parental leave systems. This paper examines the changes introduced across these domains, highlighting key elements of transformation as well as persistent continuities and challenges characterizing Italy’s family policy setting. Furthermore, it identifies a constellation of political and institutional factors that have contributed overcoming longstanding resistance to change, alongside the dynamics that constrain further progress in this policy area.