The Court of Auditors recommends, in a report published this Thursday, December 12, 2024, to extend maternity leave by one month and better compensate parental leave to “reduce the demand for the care of young children”.
“In a context of shortage of early childhood professionals”better paid and shorter parental leave would reduce the need for places by some “70,000 cradles”for a “net cost of around 360 million euros per year”notes the Court.
Since the end of 2023, the government has been considering reforming this parental leave, currently compensated at a maximum of 449 euros per month.
The “maternity leave granted for the first two children” (16 weeks) is “short-term in France, compared to other OECD countries”notes the Court in this report evaluating public policy for the care of young children (under 3 years old).
“Free up reception places”
Extend it by a month “would free up 35,000 reception places”for a net cost of 350 million euros per year.
“The development of parental care, less costly for public finances” that reception in crèches, “could reduce demand for reception”et “compensate, in part, for the reduction in the number of childminders” half of whom will retire by 2030, according to the Court of Auditors.
“Public spending seems poorly controlled”notes the Court, observing that “public funding favors daycare”which is the most expensive type of childcare.
Public funding has “represented 16.1 billion euros in 2022”and financed almost 90% of childcare expenses. “The share of families is less than 8% and that of employers is 3%.”
-“Shortage of professionals”
The creation of 200,000 additional reception places by 2030, promised by former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, would cost an additional 3 billion euros, worries the Court.
An objective weakened by “mass retirement of childminders” and in nurseries “the shortage of qualified early childhood professionals”.
Support for birth rates and quality of reception have been “recently raised to the rank of priority” of the policy of welcoming young children, alongside the objective of reconciling family and professional life and encouraging the employment of women, notes the court.
“Strengthen the quality of reception”
The Court calls for “strengthen the quality of reception”and regrets that the financing system does not encourage its improvement, without noting any difference in quality between the public and private sectors.
Noting territorial and social inequalities, she notes that one family in five cannot find a childcare solution. This is particularly the case for employees working non-standard hours.
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