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International audience; Ethnographic methods drive numerous research investigations in sociology, education, child protection, and social work (Shaw, 2003; Hamelin-Brabant, 2006; Marchive, 2012, De Suremain, 2014; Robin, Join-Lambert, Mackiewicz, 2017). Critiques of child protection research emphasize a tendency to rely on the analysis of writ-ten reports, interviews rather than direct observation which is more accurate for a deep understanding of the educational relationship (Deshayes, 2016; Tillard, 2010). But Immersing the researcher in the intimate realms of family homes raises ethical questions, especially when the study involves children.This work builds upon doctoral research examining French strengthened home-based interventions for family reunification following out-of-home care, the court-ordered removal of children from familial abuse and/or neglect. Recognizing that a family’s course extends beyond out-of-home care, I consider how ethnographic research can enhance social workers’ approaches to supporting parents while also protecting child participants.I conducted participant observation of French social workers for one week per month from January 2019 to September 2019. Social workers visited 6 families and 22 children 0 to 14 years old. Settings included the household,a neutral venue,and social work service facilities. Considering the vulnerability of research subjects and deontology rules in France, I designed ethical resources such as info sheets, an ethics charter, and consent forms for distribution to local authorities, child protection services, and families. In my search for ethical,child-friendly resources, I discovered that scientific literature and deontology codes in France paid insufficient attention to the rights of children, such as those enumerated by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Bell, 2008).Although some studies question the conditions of investigation in the families’ home (Tillard and Robin, 2010),child’s place in this framework remains a perspective which has been little explored in the scientific literature,especially in a child protection context. Ethical considerations are crucial for social work researchers in the context of child protection (Tillard and Robin, 2010). How does social work research within the household impact children, both during the observation and in the reporting of results (Shaw,2008)? How should researchers adjust their position according to context, particularly when they witness evidence of child endangerment (Monceau, 2017)? What are appropriate ways to obtain a child’s consent to participate in a study, whereas capacity for discernment is not defined by French law (Mallevaey, 2018)? In France, the scientific community has yet to provide adequate responses to these issues. Moreover, research in education sciences, which includes social work research, does not require review by university ethics committee and the actual ethical framework doesn’t fit ethnographic methods (Beaud and Weber, 2010).Problems arise with ethnographic interventions involving children. The presence of one or more researchers may generate fear (concerns from parents or children about interacting with strangers), rejection (throwing toys,running away),and also attachment (privileged interlocutor, play partner). The researcher is faced with securing sensitive and confidential information, which can be disclosed deliberately or without the child’s knowledge (Gagnon, 2005). Ethical issues such as these need to be discussed, particularly regarding the researcher’s responsibilities (Bruggeman, 2011). Moving forward, I wish to initiate a conversation in France on the adjustment of research ethics to protect child subjects (Filiod, 2014).229

International audience