Overview

• The July 3 report by Aadjam and Utopia 56 draws on interviews across 38 departments to document stark regional disparities in care for unaccompanied minors
• Health assessments mandated under the 2022 Taquet Law are skipped in over half of cases, denying many youths crucial medical and trauma evaluations
• Minors arriving outside standard hours often lack clear guidance on protection procedures and sometimes end up at police stations or forced to sleep on the streets
• Age determinations rely on subjective criteria like physical appearance and narrative coherence, leading departments to contest minority status and juvenile judges to intervene in favor of the youths
• Departments report rising costs to house and educate nearly 397,000 young people under child welfare measures, including 31,900 deemed adults