an “inapplicable” provision, according to the association of Departments of France

The Taquet law of February 7, 2022 is, “in the current conditions of saturation of the ASE structures and fall in departmental revenues, unrealistic and inapplicable”, deplores François Sauvadet, president of the association.

The ban on placing minors from Child Welfare (ASE) in hotels, which came into force on February 1, is “inapplicable under current conditions”declared the Association of Departments of France in a press release, Monday February 5.

The Taquet law of February 7, 2022 is, “in the current conditions of saturation of ASE structures and fall in departmental revenue, unrealistic and inapplicable”, deplores François Sauvadet, president of the Departments of France, who requests his “revision”.

In a report in 2020, the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS) estimated that 5% of young people in ASE were accommodated in hotels. And 95% of them were unaccompanied foreign minors. “Sometimes we have no choice”continues the Association of Departments of France. “It’s the hotel or the street”And “faced with the massive arrival of unaccompanied minors, we no longer have reception possibilities in our departments.”

An increase in “cases relating to psychological and psychiatric problems”

Some 21% of the 208,064 children placed in the ASE are unaccompanied foreign minors, according to the Departments of France. “The total expenditure of the ASE represents a net charge of more than 9 billion euros, including 1.5 billion for unaccompanied minors alone,” assures Florence Dabin, vice-president of the association in charge of childhood, quoted in the press release.

“Hotel placement is in fact a last resort, either for independent minors, or unfortunately for children whose psychiatric problems make placement in a structure or family incompatible”assures the Departments of France.

The departments are facing serious difficulties in recruiting professionals, at a time when they are facing a “increase in the number of cases involving psychological and psychiatric problems”.