What enabled the Action Enfance Foundation to win this project?
The Foundation won the call for projects launched by the Jura department in 2023, aiming to open 60 places spread over two sites: Lons-le-Saunier and Dole. This project is unique in its location in the city center for Lons-le-Saunier, a first for the Foundation, which generally opens its Children's Villages on the outskirts or in smaller towns, due to a lack of suitable land in the city center.
This Village will accommodate 30 children, with 6 children per house, spread across 5 residential houses, including 2 pairs of terraced houses. Currently, we are finalizing the building permit review, and we hope to begin construction in the first half of 2025 for an opening in the second half of 2026.
What specific needs in the Jura will this project meet, and how is it financed?
Jura faces growing needs in terms of child protection, with an increase in requests for child placement, while the number of foster families is decreasing. The Villages will provide a secure environment for children who, for reasons of danger or risk of danger, can no longer live with their family. The project is financed by the department, while the Foundation financed the purchase of the land. Construction costs are then reimbursed by the department over a period of 50 years. Furthermore, we appeal to the generosity of the public to cover expenses not covered by public funding, such as extra-curricular activities, specialized care, or monitoring of young people after their stay.
What is special about these Villages?
The family placement offered by the Foundation makes it possible to welcome brothers and sisters, from 0 to 21 years old, together in the same house or in neighboring houses when it is beneficial for them. This reception model helps to preserve the essential emotional bonds of siblings, who are often the only stable family reference for placed children. Indeed, children from a difficult family environment: educational deficiencies, emotional or parenting deficit and, often, serious abuse or neglect. They are entrusted to us by the Departments' Child Welfare Department, following a judicial decision by the children's judge (89%) or an administrative decision. It is therefore important to maintain the familiarity of the sibling bond, which offers them emotional security in an unfamiliar context.
According to a 2014 sociological study (Dubéchot et al.), these family ties play a determining role, even after leaving the system, for their future autonomy.
How is the supervision of children and the functioning of the houses within the Villages organized?
The children are looked after by family educators, a specific profession of the Foundation which allows continuous and emotional supervision. Each house welcomes 6 children and has 4 educators who work in pairs in continuous presence, taking turns every other week. They live with the children and support them in all aspects of daily life: meals, homework, hygiene, and external relationships. The house is divided into day and night areas, to guarantee calm and privacy for the children, who each have an individual bedroom.
In addition, each house is supervised by a varied team of educators, made up of mostly qualified professionals, including specialized educators, educational instructors and educational and social supports. Educators without a specialized diploma undergo 120 hours of internal training. A psychologist integrated into the team supports educators and helps refer children to specialized services if necessary. Homework assistance systems, partnerships with healthcare structures, and sponsorship and mentoring programs also make it possible to support children in their journey beyond their life in the Village.
Will jobs be created locally for the operation of the Villages?
Yes, this project represents the creation of 51 local jobs for the two Jura Villages, approximately half of which for Lons-le-Saunier. This profession is at the heart of our reception project and requires particular involvement, because the educators work every other week 24 hours a day to offer a continuous presence and share the daily life of the children. We hope to build a team of committed professionals, capable of meeting the specific needs of children.
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