1.4 mn Italian kids in absolute poverty says group, update

(ANSA) - Rome, December 10 - More than one million Italian children live in absolute poverty, and resources for these kids are on the decline, Save the Children aid group said Wednesday in its 5th annual "Atlas of Children at Risk in Italy" report.
    The highest numbers of children in absolute poverty come from southern Italy, at an average of 19%, with the region of Calabria the highest at 29%.
    The report noted how the economic crises in Italy, which is now in its third recession in six years, is taking a severe toll on the country's youngest citizens.
    Some 65,000 households were evicted last year for failing to pay rent, many of those homes with children, said the report.
    As well, many families are being forced to cut their spending on food, particularly if breadwinners in the household lose their jobs.
    The group calculated that about 1,434,000 Italian children - about 4% of the total population of kids in the country - live in absolute poverty.
    That included 67,000 children up to age 6, and 309,000 between ages 7 and 17.
    Even when there is enough food in the house, too many families have been forced to cut out small pleasures for children, including hobbies, sports, games and travel.
    The report concluded that 51.6% of families with at least one child could not afford a vacation away from home, a dramatic jump from the 40% in 2010 that cut out travel.
    The report revealed that more than 1.5 million children in Italy live in 11 large urban centers with a population of more than 250,000, and that in large cities the resources for children are experiencing a continual decline.
    "Our children's horizons are continually decreasing, with reduced spaces for autonomy, socializing, play, opportunities for learning and intellectual and interpersonal growth, which is pushing more children to the margins," said Valerio Neri, general director of Save the Children Italy.
    In May, Save the Children implemented a campaign called "Let's Light Up the Future" opening 11 "Points of Light" educational/recreational centers in suburban areas with reduced services and opportunities for children. But finding space for play is becoming more difficult, with more children and their families crowding into cities.
    Even condominium court yards are available to only about 25% of children as a play space.
    In the north, there is more play room for children, the report said.
    In the province of Bolzano, as many as 41.2% of children have meadows and fields in which to play, while at the other extreme, just under 4% of children in Sicily have such open space available.