Family Support

Nurturing Family Practices in the First Three Years of Life: For Professionals

The first three years are critical for a child’s brain and overall development and well-being—yet many families lack practical guidance on how to nurture this growth. This course provides simple, evidence-based strategies while highlighting the vital role of fathers. Designed for professionals, it’s flexible, beginner-friendly, and includes a Certificate of Knowledge.

NOTE: The course includes seven videos, spoken in Italian with sub-titles in English.

  • Language(s)

    English + Italian

  • Schedule

    3 study hours 

  • Format

    Self-Paced

  • Certification

    Knowledge Certificate

  • Modules

    8 modules

  • Features

    7 videos, self-reflection activities

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What this offering explores

Learning objectives include:
  • Understand the foundations of early brain development, the components of nurturing care and what is known about the impact of a parent-child relationship on a child development.

  • Understand the evidence regarding the benefits of good developmental practices (reading, making sound and music experience, playing together) with children and how to welcome them in one’s everyday routine with parents

  • Understand the risks and benefits (when appropriate and shared) of the use of digital devices in early childhood

  • Understand the importance of an early father involvement for optimal child development.

This offering is designed for

  • Early childhood educators and pedagogical staff

  • Health, social, and cultural sector professionals

  • Trainers, volunteers, and mentors working with families

  • Policy makers, NGOs, local authorities, and company-based family support staff

Course contents

Meet your instructors

Facilitators Bios

Giorgio Tamburlini

Giorgio Tamburlini is a paediatrician with a PhD in developmental paediatrics. He has extensively consulted for WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, and international NGOs on maternal and child health policies and programmes. He conducts research and teaching with Italian and international academic partners and served nine years on the Executive Committee of the International Pediatric Association. He contributed to the Nurturing Care Framework, national early childhood policies in Italy, and coordinates European projects on early father involvement.

Alessandra Sila

Alessandra Sila holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Padua. Since the launch of Italy’s Nati per Leggere programme (national Italian programme on the promotion of early dialogic reading, Born to Read in English) programme in 1999, she has coordinated its activities as a member of the National Secretariat and served as National Training Coordinator until 2024. She is Director of the Centro per la Salute delle Bambine e dei Bambini, overseeing training and research on training methodologies, and has published on play, shared reading, and music as practices supporting child development.

Anduena Alushaj 

Anduena Alushaj has a background in intercultural development and cooperation. At the Centro per la Salute delle Bambine e dei Bambini, she leads the Early Child Development and Nurturing Care area and coordinates the national Un Villaggio per Crescere programme. Her work focuses on training and developing educational and informational materials on ECD and responsive parenting. She is a national trainer for Nati per Leggere and for the GMCD (Guide for Monitoring Child Development), and has served as an ECD consultant in international projects with Doctors with Africa CUAMM.

Valeria Balbinot

Valeria Balbinot is coordinator of the Nati per Leggere programme (national Italian programme on the promotion of early dialogic reading) since 2015, national responsible of the training area and part of the national pool of trainers of the programme. She is involved in the network development of Nati per Leggere and contributes to the building and support of multisectoral networks of paediatricians, librarians, educators and volunteers involved in literacy promotion. She is a researcher on the risks and opportunities of the use of digital devices for children aged zero to six. She has a degree in Intercultural development and cooperation

Antonio Di Pietro

Antonio Di Pietro is a play pedagogue and President of CEMEA Tuscany (Centres for the Practice of Active Education Methods). He is a contract professor at the University of Florence’s School of Humanities and Education, teaches at LUDEA (Free University of Active Education), collaborates with LUnGi (Free University of Play), and is a member of the international research group Jeux et Pratiques Ludiques. He provides training and consultancy for educational services, works with parents, and focuses on play, expressive languages, music, and intercultural and outdoor education, with several publications.

Antonella Costantini 

Antonella Costantini is a pianist and music teacher. She is Director of Music of OperUS (international hub for music education, professional development and artistic and managerial excellence in the field of performing arts) and She is a national board member of Nati per la Musica programme (Italian national programme on the promotion of early shared music experience), as well as part of the national pool of trainers of the programme.

Meet our Knowledge Partners

The Center for Child Health and Development is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities for girls’ and boys’ cognitive, emotional, and relational development from birth. Operating in Italy and internationally, the organisation prevents educational poverty through family-centered programs, local networks, and professional training on early childhood development, parenting practices, and neurodevelopmental promotion and assessment for professionals and caregivers worldwide.

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