In March 2024, the City, faced with a shortage of staff, had to resolve to reduce the reception of children in several of its structures. The Regional Chamber of Accounts was interested in “the continuity of the public early childhood service” in Montpellier.
Nurseries which limit their reception hours and reduce their capacities: we remember that at the end of February 2024, the City had to significantly reduce the activity of several structures dedicated to early childhood. This significant incident led the regional audit chamber to examine the community’s management of “the continuity of the public early childhood service”.
Absenteeism and recruitment
A “mission flash”made public this Wednesday and carried out over the years 2022 and following, which highlights, in particular, the structural fragilities of the sector to which was added the problem of absenteeism in the teams.
In 2023, the audit chamber thus records a number of 43 days of absence per agent from the early childhood center “the equivalent of the absence of 106 professionals”. In 2024, unplanned departures and uncompensated part-time work have complicated the organization of schedules and led to the service restrictions last spring.
Plan against absenteeism
A specific plan to combat absenteeism was put in place in 2022 but “it is premature to measure the effectiveness of all of these measures. Even if the initial findings are positive, the persistence of absenteeism at a very high level is likely to penalize the continuity and quality of the service offered to families” observe the financial magistrates.
The difficulties arose when the municipality imposed a ratio “more demanding in terms of personnel to be mobilized” of one agent for every six children received. A choice which results in “additional costs which are assumed by the community” notes the report which does not comment on the appropriateness of this political decision. But to meet its needs, the City also encountered a shortage of professionals. “The chamber invites the municipality to get closer to the region in order to inform it of its needs, especially since the department of Hérault appears under-endowed in training capacities compared to the two other most populated departments of the region” the report says.
Michaël Delafosse: “a policy not funded enough”
In his response to the regional chamber of accounts, Michaël Delafosse particularly emphasizes “the crucial question of financing”. “All the reports (Igas, Ceser, HCFEA) insist on a model that is running out of steam which cannot guarantee quality with a supervision ratio of one adult for 6 children and which leads to exhaustion and a flight of qualified professionals “ he writes.
According to him, the desire to maintain reception structures under direct management or entrusted to the non-profit sector “is not sufficiently funded”. “Every opening of place […] also leaves a much more significant remainder for the City than in the case of a DSP to a lucrative private actor.”
An insufficient supply of places
The municipality, for its part, is committed to a program to upgrade nursery staff, an effort worth €1.40 million. Its objective was to recruit 80 additional professionals in 2024. It is part of the plan to open 312 new places between 2021 and 2027.
Because in this tense context, the supply of places in crèches, all sectors combined, remains “insufficient” to meet demand: it is 47 places for 100 children compared to 59 at the national level.
