ABIO

ABIO — the acronym of Associazione per il Bambino in Ospedale (Association for the Child in Hospital) — is an Italian non-profit organization founded in Milan in 1978. Its mission is to help children and adolescents overcome the trauma of a hospital stay and to offer families the support they need during a difficult period. The organization works to promote the humanization of the hospital environment for children, easing the impact of health-care facilities on young patients and their families, in line with the principles of the Charter of the Rights of the Child in Hospital. ABIO operates almost entirely through volunteers. Its volunteers are described as the heart of the association: a positive, smiling and competent presence that provides moments of play and active listening. They welcome and inform families while entertaining children and adolescents, and they are trained and prepared to act responsibly during service. The association is non-profit, non-partisan and non-denominational, and is made up of freely associated people who wish to translate their moral and civic sense into concrete commitment. ABIO's activity is concentrated in pediatric wards and day hospitals. In the city of Milan alone, more than 45,000 hospitalizations of minors are counted each year, in ordinary pediatric departments and day hospitals. For these children and their families, hospitalization is a difficult experience that can have serious psychological consequences; changes in habits and fear of medical visits, therapies and unfamiliar environments are experienced by children, especially the youngest, as invasive. To increase and sustain the spread of ABIO associations across the whole national territory, Fondazione ABIO Italia onlus was established in May 2006, with the task of promoting and coordinating activity according to the principles of homogeneity and quality of service. As of March 2008, there were 63 operational ABIO locations, plus some locations in training. The Milan association, ABIO Milano ODV, is one of the founding and most prominent local branches, with a board of directors that serves three-year terms and is re-eligible, and with operational areas covering fundraising, communication, treasury, volunteering, events, projects and training.

ABIO, the Associazione per il Bambino in Ospedale, was founded in Milan in 1978. Its purpose was to help children and adolescents overcome the trauma of a hospital stay and to offer families the necessary support during that delicate moment. The organization was created to promote the humanization of the hospital environment for children, alleviating the impact of health-care structures on children and their families, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the Rights of the Child in Hospital. From its origins, ABIO has operated as a non-profit, non-partisan and non-denominational association made up of freely associated people who wish to translate their moral and civic sense into concrete commitment. Its work is carried out predominantly through the voluntary activity of its members, who freely and gratuitously provide their service without profit. Volunteers are the heart of the association: a positive, smiling and competent presence that provides moments of play and active listening. They welcome and inform families while entertaining children and adolescents, and they are trained and prepared to act responsibly during service. The need for ABIO's work is significant. In the city of Milan alone, more than 45,000 hospitalizations of minors are counted each year, in ordinary pediatric wards and day hospitals. For these children and their families, hospitalization is a difficult experience that can have serious psychological consequences; changes in habits and fear of medical visits, therapies and unfamiliar environments are experienced by children, especially the youngest, as invasive. To increase and sustain the spread of ABIO associations across the entire national territory, Fondazione ABIO Italia onlus was established in May 2006. Its commitment is to favor and coordinate activity according to the principles of homogeneity and quality of service. As of March 2008, there were 63 operational ABIO locations, plus some locations in training. The Milan association, ABIO Milano ODV, is one of the organization's key branches. Its board of directors has the task of implementing all initiatives aimed at achieving the social object; members serve three-year terms and are re-eligible. The board and operational areas cover fundraising, communication, treasury, volunteering, events, projects and training. The association continues to operate with the support of donors and volunteers, describing its mission as taking care of children and adolescents in hospital, and their families, for over 45 years.

• 2008

  As of March 2008, there are 63 operational ABIO locations, plus some locations in training.

• 2006

  Fondazione ABIO Italia onlus is established in May to increase and sustain the spread of ABIO associations across Italy.

• 1978

  ABIO is founded in Milan to help children and adolescents overcome the trauma of hospitalization.

Non-profit, non-partisan and non-denominational volunteer organization dedicated to humanizing hospital care for children and adolescents in Italy.

1. 1ABIO Milano ODV official websiteabiomilano.org
2. 2Chi Siamo | ABIO Milano ODVabiomilano.org
3. 3ABIO on Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Associazione per il Bambino in Ospedale on Italian Wikipediait.wikipedia.org