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French Child Protection System Declared in Crisis as Parliamentary Report Urges Immediate Overhaul

A new report reveals systemic failures in France’s child welfare system, calling for urgent reforms including increased funding, better oversight, and coordinated national strategies.

Des enfants jouent dans leur chambre du foyer d’accueil « La Maison », à Charbonnières-les-Bains (Rhône), le 25 mai 2022.
Dans son rapport présenté le 8 avril, la commission d’enquête sur les manquements des politiques publiques de protection de l’enfance exhorte à « agir vite » pour refonder l’Aide sociale à l’enfance.
Sana, 39 ans, assistante familiale, et son mari Chafik, 41 ans, accueillent chez eux, à Limay (Yvelines), deux enfants placés par l’Aide sociale à l’enfance.
Catherine Vautrin, ministre du Travail, de la Santé et des Solidarités, à Paris, le 30 mai 2024.

Overview

  • The parliamentary commission’s final report, released April 8, 2025, describes the child protection system as being in a state of collapse, with urgent calls for legislative and financial reforms.
  • Key recommendations include establishing a new funding mechanism, adopting a programming law, and creating a repair commission for victims of institutional maltreatment.
  • Minister Catherine Vautrin has proposed initiatives to prevent child placements and support vulnerable families but has not provided specific financial commitments due to budgetary constraints.
  • Official data shows nearly 400,000 children are under the care of the Aide sociale à l’enfance (ASE), with rising caseloads and a decade-long decline in personnel exacerbating the crisis.
  • Advocacy groups and professionals stress the need for immediate action, warning that inadequate resources and fragmented oversight continue to endanger children’s well-being.