Child protection

France’s Aide Sociale à l’Enfance (ASE) social service is charged with assisting children and their families through actions that protect children and prevent and combat child abuse. Children who cannot live with their family are placed either in collective structures (institutional homes, child “villages”) or with foster families for varying lengths of time. Some come under ASE protection quite early in life whereas for others arrangements are made during adolescence.

What do we know about arrangements made for minors who cannot continue to live at home? What proportion of children in France are in this situation? What are the reasons cited to explain that situation? Why do some minors go to live in foster homes and others in collective arrangements? What happens to these young people once they come of age?
And together with the Printemps research laboratory of the Université Paris at Saclay, INED has conducted a longitudinal study (ELAP) on the living conditions and access to autonomy of young people previously under ASE protection.
INED is presenting a list of resources and references on this subject.