France

France

Active in ten cities across France with the support of six NGOs

The Human Safety Net’s For Families program works together with parents to help children from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds. It focuses on the first six years of childhood, when learning abilities are fundamental and can prove crucial for a child’s future social evolution.

Activity of the For Families program in France began with a call for projects launched in spring 2018 with the association GPMA (Groupement Prévoyance Maladie Accident), a Generali partner. The goal was to identify associations that offer parents equal-opportunity initiatives and support, and build long-term partnerships with them.

70 associations responded. Ultimately five were chosen based on their commitment to family themes, the quality of their support programs, the strength of their local roots and their ability to collaborate with companies and associations both in France and abroad.  In December 2019, a sixth association joined this initiative.

 

ph. credit: Jean François Badias/Andia

The program

There are currently ten “THSN family spaces” in France being inaugurated in partner association venues. The associations will use these spaces to offer:
- open meeting spaces for parents and their children (rooms, homes, nurseries);
- parent support workshops (budget management, nutrition, health, physical activity, computer sciences and more);
- activities promoting exchanges between parents and children (entertainment, fun-educational, cultural outings and more);
- volunteer opportunities (tutoring, reading, computer science and more).

Partners involved

Local activities

Apprentis d’Auteuil
Five THSN "Family Homes"

Apprentis d'Auteuil is a Catholic foundation that supports young people experiencing difficulties, offering them hosting, education, training and integration programs in order to help them become free and fulfilled adults.

The foundation supports parents in their role as educators through various hosting facilities, including the Maisons des familles (Families' Homes)

The aim of the Maisons is to combat the isolation and vulnerability families experience when they lose their role as educators. Accompanied by a team of volunteers and employees, parents can enrich each other's experiences and gain confidence by networking, sharing experiences and counseling one another.

The Human Safety Net has partnered with five Maisons des Familles located across France: Mulhouse, Amiens, Montdidier, Bordeaux and Vaulx-en-Velin.

Photo by: Rémi Deluze

Restos bébés du coeur d’Agen
Opening the door to babies up to 18-months-old, together with their families

The baby centers in Agen respond to the specific problems that parents of children ages 0 to 18 months face.

The centers offer appropriate food, clothing, diapers, hygiene products, equipment and games for young children, as well as pediatric, dietary and childcare recommendations.

The goal is to create a relationship of trust with parents through personalized support and, where possible, implement activities that respond to their needs.

The Restos Bébé du Coeur hosts the THSN home for families in need in Agen.

Photo by: Antoine Dominique / Studio Veysset

Intermèdes Robinson
On the ground and close to families.

Intermèdes Robinson invents new ways for families to have fun, learn, interact and enjoy life together, outside traditional institutions and structures.

The association intervenes primarily with children and families who are in precarious conditions, generally among people located far away from traditional institutions, or those deprived of their rights or suffering from a high degree of social insecurity. The institution works to establish an emotional, material, educational, health, nutritional and social “bubble” around these families in need in order to help them grow. Its actions are accessible to all and are based on principles of unconditional care, freedom and cooperation.

Intermède Robinson hosts a THSN home for families in Longjumeau.

L’Ecole des parents et des éducateurs des Bouches-du-Rhône (EPE13)
Facilitating a connection between school and families

L’Ecole des parents et des éducateurs des Bouches-du-Rhône (EPE13) assists educators and families in need.

Its mission is to support parents, children and young people, teaching them to rely on their own resources and personal skills; and to help train education, health and social welfare partners to work more effectively with families.

EPE13 offers spaces for animation, consultation, publicized visits, meetings and training. Psychologists, marriage counselors, family counselors, mediators and others who support EPE13, all possess professional experience in the field, confirmed practice and are regularly supervised.


EPE13 founded the first “parent cafés,” and now hosts a THSN space for families in Marseille.

La Sauvegarde de l’enfance du Finistère
Learning to become parents

For over 80 years, Sauvegarde de l’Enfance (Safeguarding Childhood) has helped educate and train social workers in France’s Finistère region. The association is based on respect, individual responsibility, children’s rights, family rights, adding value to parenthood and the right to training and education throughout life.

The association’s mission:
- to support parenthood and families;
- to provide educational, pedagogical and psychological training;
- to support personal development, schooling, social and professional integration;
- to train social workers;
- to provide care (medical or therapeutic benefits).

The Sauvegarde de l’Enfance facilities in Finistère hosts a THSN home for families in Brest.

Photo by: Fanch Galivel / Andia

AFL Transition
Taking Care of the Parents

AFL Transition has been supporting families for two decades through a range of psychological, sociomedical, educational and psychoeducational programmes. These programmes cover a range of issues, from prevention, treatment and psychotherapy, to ensuring access to rights, criminal action to safeguard victims, fighting discrimination and supporting equality. This project, supported by The Human Safety Net, is based on the creation of daily “Parental Breaks” that are enlivened by multidisciplinary groups of psychologists, educators, social workers and paediatric nurses. These “Parental Breaks” offer:
- a perinatal space focused on parent-child relationship and the art of taking care of oneself;
- a creative recreational workshop to aid the child’s social development; - a culinary workshop to learn to work together and to discuss issues around budgeting and nutrition;
- psychological consulting for parents.

AFL Transition hosts the THSN family space for families in Toulon.

Crédit photo : AFL Transition

Des Epaules et des Ailes

Des Epaules et des Ailes is the endowment fund of the GPMA association. Its supports projects against all forms of social fragility. The support of partner associations through the endowment fund is carried out in two ways: six partner associations are supported on a recurring basis, the other associations are supported on an ad hoc basis, in particular via the Atout Soleil prize. Every year since 2007, in partnership with the Generali group, the Atout Soleil prize has been awarded to around fifteen associations that work with vulnerable people.