Faced with the difficulties of social assistance for children, “we have the impression of being a little let down by everyone”, deplores a lawyer

Aurélien Robert, lawyer in Montpellier and president of the Lawyer and Child association.

Lawyer at the Montpellier bar, Aurélien Robert chairs the Lawyer and Child association. The latter brings together lawyers specializing in minors' law and supports them in defending their interests but also works on preventive actions by intervening in particular in educational establishments. Les Rencontres d'Occitanie, organized this Thursday May 16 at Midi Libre headquarters will open the debate.

In 2019, a report from the Igas (General Inspectorate of Social Affairs) highlighted the extension of deadlines for execution of decisions of justice in child protection matters. Do you see it on the ground ?

Yes, completely. The lack of emergency reception places is a real problem. Fortunately, we still find them in cases of serious and proven abuse. For others, it’s more complicated. Due to the lack of human resources and financial resources, children remain with their families despite the court's decision to place them.

To what situation can this state of affairs lead ?

Sometimes the situation worsens and young people are then removed from their families with bridging measures, which means that they move from home to home without a lasting solution. It also happens that relationships with parents improve and there is no longer any need to place the children.

Meetings in Occitanie to talk about it

The tragedy of foster children remains current. After the suicide of one of them in Puy-de-Dôme, a parliamentary commission of inquiry is looking into the fate of these children placed under the responsibility of social assistance in childhood. It should deliver its conclusions in October.

This Thursday, May 16, from 6 p.m. at the Midi Libre headquarters in Saint-Jean-de-Védas, the new meeting of Occitanie meetings will focus on the issue of their care and monitoring.

Are invited: Claire Hédon, rights defender; Véronique Calueba, vice-president of the Hérault Department responsible for childhood and family solidarity; Aurélien Robert, lawyer and president of the Lawyer and Child association; Warrant Officer Léa Milheau, deputy commander of the Family Protection House unit and Sylvain Louvet, journalist.

This lack of resources that you spoke of also deprives children of existing measures that have proven effective, such as personalized support…

It’s quite simple, in Montpellier there are no places. However, with this personalized support service, the children stay at the family home and only leave one or two nights a week to take a breather. Here, we cannot benefit from it and this is the case almost everywhere in France. We have the impression of being a little let down by everyone.

Also read: CASE. 40% of homeless people under the age of 25 are former foster children: child welfare, a system "out of steam"

What is the profile of minors in care or in front of the person you meet?

They are of all ages but unfortunately it must be recognized that they mainly come from disadvantaged social categories, their parents are most often in social difficulty.

Do children and parents manage to maintain the bond when placement measures are taken ?

Here too, it’s complicated due to lack of resources. We are unable to enforce publicized visiting rights due to lack of space. To support each of these child/parent meetings, you need a psychologist and an educator. In Perpignan recently, one of my clients was offered to be accompanied by two educators…

Here too, the deadlines are getting longer…

Yes and the parents don't understand. The courts told them that they had the right to see their children but they cannot due to lack of space. You sometimes have to wait four to six months for visiting rights to take effect…

I subscribe to read more