There “voracity” of certain groups of private nurseries combined with the“inaction“public authorities have had impacts”dramatic“on the sector and on children,” underlines investigative journalist Victor Castanet, whose book “The Ogres” (Flammarion) comes out on Wednesday.
In an interview with AFP, the author of “Gravediggers“, an investigation which in 2022 revealed cases of embezzlement and mistreatment at the private nursing home giant Orpea, also mentions the “non-aggression pact” which was apparently concluded between the former Minister of Families Aurore Bergé and the private nursery lobby.
MAXPPP – Denis TRASFI
Who are the ogres?
Ogres are the ones who eat children in stories. But it is also voracity, the obsession of groups to grow ever bigger.
In most daycare centers, things are going well. And the staff work with a deep commitment, often a lot of love for the children, and do it with little means, being very badly paid.
And besides that, there are abuses put in place at the headquarters of certain groups. There are cost optimization practices, a low-cost dynamic, which have harmful effects on the entire sector, where financial indicators, occupancy rates, will be favored over quality.
With dramatic impacts on children. There is this private nursery near Lille, where there are nine children who were allegedly victims of abuse. Blows, scratches, punishments in the dark, humiliation, deprivation of food. These children still have regular nightmares, there have been developmental delays and problems with socialization, in their relationships with others, and especially with adults.
Beyond the responsibility of certain groups, you point out the inaction of public authorities, which would have favored the dynamic of “low-cost”.
A number of town halls, communities and ministries which, between two offers, have almost always chosen the cheapest and lowest bidder.
There is another responsibility of the State which is that of the method of financing: Bercy and the Court of Auditors have pushed for the implementation of an hourly billing system which encourages all municipal, associative and private operators to maximize their occupancy rate, to replace each absence, to fill each gap in order to receive as much public funding as possible.
The State’s responsibility is all the greater because everyone warned them that this system was a disaster, but the French administration insisted and did not want to question its operation.
You also mention a “non-aggression pact” which was supposedly concluded between the former Minister for Families, Aurore Bergé, and the general delegate of the Federation of nursery companies, Elsa Hervy.
They exchanged closely every day on secure applications. There was a request, to which the private groups responded, to never criticize government policy and to support the minister.
In return, Aurore Bergé showed a form of leniency towards private actors, and transmitted their messages during her speeches. She stated that she had never given any specific instructions, that there had never been any agreement – which contradicts the testimonies and documents that were sent to me.
