In France, “this summer, there were 1,600 children” educated “who slept outside” announcement on franceinfo Tuesday August 30, Carla Dugault, the president of the Federation of Parents’ Councils (FCPE). These children and their parents have not found an accommodation solution after a call to 115, according to the latest census of several associations, including the FCPE. Carla Dugault even indicates that“there are more than 50,000 street children”to live without permanent accommodation, either in social hotels or slums.
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Led by the Lyon collective “Never without a roof”, several associations launched a national network on August 30 with the FCPE, to better identify and permanently relocate these families. According to Carla Dugault, “the idea with the collective of united associations is to launch a support network for students to effectively challenge the public authorities as well. Today, the parents that we are, regularly see children in the field who have difficulty having a roof, and that also has a very strong impact on their education”.
So how can this sharp increase be explained? “These numbers come from 115”explains the president of the FCPE. “So it’s probably actually a lot more since it’s the people who called and picked up the phone”. According to her, “We can clearly see that the housing stock is saturated. Today, a lot of housing is inaccessible. Many are too expensive in certain areas, in different territories at the national level”. Afterwards, adds Carla Dugault, “Today you have an economic context, a very complicated social context where there are more and more families ultimately impacted by what is happening within French society”.
The profiles of these families are often the same according to the president of the FCPE: “Often, they are single mothers with their children”. She asserts that, faced with this observation, “Parents want to act more with actors who are doing well”, such as associations, the collective of united associations or “Never without a roof”. And to conclude, “The education system needs above all well-being and fulfillment for the students and nothing else. So, we are there, we have to support all that and it is essential. In fact, the question of poverty today is strongly present in all schools”.