How Are The Jobs There.. Health Insurance And School For My Daughter. She Is 12.. When We Go..

Give Me Your Advice.. Please. Someone That Lives There.

Thank You....

I live in the US, however I go to Italy 4 times a year and I am in Italy now.
Your question can generate a lot of disagreement with the answers:
Health care is provided by the state and ( this is debatable ) I think good - also the public schools for a 12 years old are pretty good ( of course depends where your daughter will go ).
Job situation is however pretty bad: unless you will work for some international organization like FAO / Ifad / WFP/ American embassy and so on the salary will be quite low... I still did not figure out how Italian manage to live at the standard they have when I hear the average salaries. Of course living in a smaller cities will be much less expensive than Rome or Milan for example....
My opinion
Paolo

Like Paolo said, the job situation here isn't exactly the best. It's even hard for the locals. One can find temp jobs here and there, but it can be hard to find a permanent contract and even harder to find one with a livable wage. Are you able to speak Italian? This is also VERY important. If you're unable to speak the language, then finding a job will be even harder.

You're daughter is young yet, so she should pick up the language fairly quickly.

The health care system, at least in the Milan area isn't bad. Could be more organized, but overall not that bad.
Ann

I moved to Italy when my daughter was about 10
not a good idea!
my son was 2, he had no problems
but my daughter has had a difficult time adapting - never knowing whether she is american or italian.. she and I are and remain "nè pesce nè carne"
yes there have been advantages.. but moving with a child who has already established a social identity is very difficult.. think twice

not to mention the economical problems.... already cited in the other posts

Dear Demi
Honestly I think that is a great opportunity for your dauther: she can laern Italian language, make Italian friends, be exposed to diffrent coulure which can be be helpfull for her future live. Just make sure before moving that her school system, helthcare, accomodation are fine , of course your too.

I feel the same way Demi, I wish you the best in whatever decision you make. I will have to settle for a few weeks a year unless something/someone keeps me there. I think my poor parents (especially my mother) would have a coronary! When I suggested it she practically needed a respirator, lol. But regardless, if I felt like I could make it work I'd do it in a heartbeat. There are a number of websites with great advice and experiences on moving to Italy. One I found interesting was www.eurobimbo.vonbarkenhagen.com, this site also links to others on the same topic.

Hi demi....
I am italian and I've been living in Italy for a long time. Work is hard in Italy, but you can manage.
The problem is the salary, very low to compare the life style.

basically:

- Schools in Italy open in september so you should aplly some month earlier. I advice you to get the private sistem is not so complicate like the public are. Consider your child is american and maybe she needs some papers.

- Healty Insurance's sistem is very complicate but it depends also wich kind of job you are looking for or you are going to do.

Normally for an emplyed the owner pays your salary plus your tax, wich are high to compere the sistem service you get, but usually it's very hard to get job with the contract wich is mean that many jobs are in black or with a little project term (3/6 months).

Can I know wich ind of job you will going to do?

Ciao
G

check also this article:
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/news/news...sp?newsid=7885

Hi Demi, I live in Italy for some time. I came from a third/second world country and find that although Italy is part of a First World European Union its mainly the transport system and schools seems to reveal First World capabilities(my experience the Health Care system too , compared to most poor countries, is good.
Well paid jobs dont come easily and most jobs salaries make no sense with the living expenses.House and appartment rentals are expensive in the cities and towns compared to salaries. Speaking Italian is essential.The traditional culture in most villages looks to still be kind of medi-evil and depending on your cultural conditioning, it is sometimes not easy to integrate. The Italians are friendly to foreigners and helpful and love to see that a foreigner is learning the lingo.
The further South you go the more trashy(dirty) it gets the landscape, although the Mediteranean in the South is beautiful, the beaches look atroscious with lots of litter. There are still some little pieces of paradise though. Up North (north of Rome and South of Milano), the countryside is beautiful and clean.
The roads in most of Italy are in bad condition, and the car strains alot from this. Italians either ride too fast or too slow and the roads are narrow.In the South the traffic has little rules on the road and if you not used to it can get scary. But its a lovely place to travel, if you like addrenalin.
Most Italian have become dependant on cheap Chinese goods, so you can find lots of cheap goods/bad quality around, but not so many good quality 'made in Italy' products like in the past. Most gardening tools are expensive and not so strong, but the soil is the richest I've seen anywhere. The vegetables, Pork, fruit, panne(bread), olive oil is deliscious..in general All Food is very tasty.
Its a great place to live, but it can be a hard life depending...

Ade

Hi! Wow it is so interesting to hear all the opinions on moving to Italy. I think it really depends on where you move to in Italy and where you would like to move in Italy. I moved to Turin without knowing one word of Italian. From my experience here the Health Care system is pretty good. Just get all your paperwork done and you should be fine! The work situation is really bad, for natives, for foreigners, for everyone! You need to have a lot of patients and a nice financial cushion wouldn't hurt if in case you are out of work for a period of time. Good Luck! And as always I am available for any other info from Turin!