Overview
- The film alleges that large operators turned public subsidies into profits by cutting staffing and operating costs, creating systemic risks and instances of child maltreatment.
- It charts the sector’s expansion to policy shifts in the 2000s, including the 2010 liberalization and a 2014 occupancy rule, and examines the rise of the French “Big Four.”
- The documentary situates its claims in official scrutiny since the 2022 death of an 11‑month‑old in Lyon, highlighting the 2023 IGAS push to raise qualifications and the 2024 parliamentary inquiry.
- Experts describe a workforce crisis of low pay, burnout and high turnover that drives hiring of underqualified staff, with France moving in May to create a credential below the CAP as other European countries require higher levels.
- Oversight gaps are a central theme, from overstretched PMI inspections to self-evaluation by providers, with examples such as Belgian parents converting a failed crèche into a cooperative after Neokids Montessori’s bankruptcy.