ABSTRACT
Effective child protection systems increasingly rely on integrated, multi-agency responses to prevent and address child maltreatment. However, in many European welfare contexts, collaboration across services remains constrained by organizational fragmentation. This study examines the structure and functioning of a local child maltreatment prevention and protection network in a metropolitan area in Southern Italy, assessing its alignment with regional policy frameworks and identifying key strengths and structural gaps. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining semi-structured interviews, document analysis, focus groups, stakeholder surveys and social network analysis to map inter-organizational relationships and explore practitioners’ perspectives. Findings indicate a marked misalignment between the local network and regional governance arrangements. In particular, the absence of first- and second-level multidisciplinary teams for assessment and intervention undermines the effectiveness of case management processes. Social network analysis reveals low network density and weak connectivity among organizations: A limited number of central actors manage the majority of referrals, whereas key stakeholders, such as schools and healthcare services, remain peripheral. At the same time, qualitative findings point to strong mutual recognition of professional roles and high levels of inter-organizational trust, particularly between public services and third-sector organizations, suggesting the presence of underdeveloped collaborative potential. The study highlights the need to strengthen governance and coordination within local child protection systems through clearer operational protocols, enhanced information sharing, targeted interprofessional training and more robust intersectoral collaboration. By highlighting the challenges and opportunities associated with a network-based approach to CM prevention and intervention, these findings contribute to current debates on the development of integrated child protection systems in fragmented welfare contexts.