The mother, the number 1 mode of care for disabled children

Children with disabilities aged under 6 live twice as often as other children with only one parent (26% compared to 13%). In 93% of cases, it is their mother who, very often, is far from employment. The proportion of inactive or unemployed mothers is thus twice as high (60% compared to 30%).

An inventory of childcare methods

This is what the annual report of the National Early Childhood Observatory (Onape) reveals, published on caf.fr in December 2024. These results are based on survey no. 1286 by the Drees (Directorate of research, studies, evaluation and statistics), released in December 2023. Objective? Analyze the childcare arrangements and the profile of the parents of the 47,000 children under the age of 6 benefiting from the Education Allowance for Disabled Children (AEEH) in mainland France in 2021.

Who do families entrust their children to? How many nursery places are available? In view of the establishment of the public early childhood service, planned from January 2025, Onape wishes to deliver “reference data” in a detailed 68-page report. They are divided into 15 sheets on four themes: the demographic portrait of children, the uses of childcare methods, the formal childcare offer and funding. This year, it includes a chapter on welcoming children with disabilities.

Childminders in low demand

Between 0 and 3 years old, they are kept much more often “primarily” – in other words most of the time during the day during the week – by their parents than the others (78% versus 56%). “They are less often exclusively but over longer periods of time,” specifies the study. Concerning inclusion in collective or individual structures, reception in a crèche at least once a week is also widespread, however it is half as common with a childminder. In both cases, reception times are on average much shorter. “The lack of training, the fear of doing wrong but also the additional workload combined with more often part-time care leading to a shortfall in earnings would be the main obstacles to receiving care from a childminder,” confirms the report.

Recourse to specialized structures for 3 out of 10 children

To meet their specific needs, 31% of disabled children under the age of 3 are cared for at least once a week in a specialized structure (early medico-social action centers, special education and child care services). home, medical-psycho-pedagogical centers, day hospitals, etc.). They spend an average of three hours there per week.

Parents less satisfied with their care

In addition, parents who provide primary care for their child with a disability – even when it was their first choice – report less often “satisfied” conditions than others (70% versus 82%). “These differences suggest that parental care could be experienced less well when the child has a disability, perhaps because it is more long-term and more intense, since it mobilizes families on longer times during the week and up to older ages. This lower satisfaction could also reflect disappointed expectations in terms of inclusion in other forms of care. envisage the authors of the investigation. Furthermore, these parents more frequently provide care outside of school hours, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Children less present at school

Other notable facts from the survey (which are not relayed in the Onape report): at age 3, schooling is less frequent for disabled children (78% compared to 98%). Between 4 and 5 years, it is generalized, and the differences are much less marked (97% compared to 99%). “However, whatever their age, these young people spend on average less time in nursery school than the weekly teaching duration of 24 hours,” probably due to the need for medicosocial monitoring, specifies the study.

Same findings for young people with undiagnosed disabilities

“By broadening the scope of disability to children presenting one or more of the disability criteria measured in the survey (limitations in daily life, special needs or difficulties in exchanges) but without administrative recognition, it appears that the families concerned present organizations similar to those living with a child beneficiary of the AEEH, but with less marked differences when compared to the organizations of other families”, concludes the study.

© Stocklib Tatiana Dyuvbanova