Residential Care for Children and Youth in France. A Solid System Facing Major Challenges

This chapter notes the steady growth of children in residential care in France over the past two decades, which the authors suggest is due to a degraded social environment and an increase in unaccompanied minors. Important issues in the country include prevention of institutional abuse and avoiding sibling separation. In a novel program, children remain in the parental home but under the supervision of a team of professionals. Other innovations in some localities include residential care units where parents can share time and everyday activities over a weekend with children. Over the last two decades, residential placements have represented a decreasing share of out-of-home care. Parental autonomy is a focus throughout the placement experience. Residential care occurs in a variety of settings, including very small units. The chapter concludes with the matrix used throughout the book, which provides information about the current policy context, key trends and initiatives, characteristics of children and youth served, preparation of residential care personnel, promising programmatic innovations, and present strengths and challenges.