SOn the pavement of the old Saint-Fraigne children’s home, it’s not yet the beach but already a bit of the forest. The ivy climbs up to the roof of the director’s former home, runs across the asphalt of the courtyard and begins to attack the walls of the former boarding school. Inside, piles of laundry still sit in the middle of the room between the library and the kitchen equipment, as if life had stopped dead in 2020 when the structure closed. “It saddens me to see what’s left of it today,” admits Élisabeth Riglet, former staff representative of the establishment, who worked there for 14 years, “first as a night supervisor then as a teacher.” house” with the 16 children in care.
Some of the linen and furniture are still inside the old Children’s Home.
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“This house is an element of heritage which already welcomed sick destitute children in the 19th century. We see it deteriorating over the years. »
A state of mind shared by Céline Marcelin and Michel Bonnet, mayor and municipal councilor responsible for the work in Saint-Fraigne, who challenge the Department, which still owns the building. “This house is an element of heritage which already welcomed sick poor children in the 19th centurye century. We see it deteriorating over the years”, regret the elected officials, in incomprehension regarding the Department’s project to build a unit of 50 reception places in Esse, in Charente limousine (read CL of January 9), “so that here, everything is abandoned. Windows were also broken a little over a year ago, forcing the various access points to be padlocked.
CL
Windows were broken a little over a year ago, forcing the various access points to be padlocked.
What future for this real estate complex, while 45 placement measures remain unimplemented in Charente, due to lack of reception places? “We have nothing concrete at the moment,” underlines Nelly Vergez, vice-president in charge of children at the Department. A lot of work is underway to clarify the needs and structures available in the territory, knowing that we must take into account the living area of the children in care and avoid increasing the number of trips. »
-An uncertain rebirth
If it does not close the door to a possible rebirth of the Saint-Fraigne Children’s Home, it is not necessarily a priority. “Many structures are already present in western Charente, which is therefore not the most appropriate location,” continues Nelly Vergez. Way to respond to criticism of the choice of Esse. “We also know that the buildings in Saint-Fraigne cannot be used as they are. »
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Up to 2.9 million euros excluding tax. This is the estimated cost of the rehabilitation of the premises carried out in 2016. The former departmental team and the multi-associative group 79-16 (GPA), manager of the Saint-Fraigne social children’s home, had favored the construction, instead, of three small units of 5 to 6 children in Saint-Fraigne, Aigre and Villefagnan (read box). A choice then criticized by the former mayor of Saint-Fraigne Franck Bonnet and still contested today by Élisabeth Riglet but accepted by the decision-makers for political reasons (read box).
“The Saint-Fraigne Children’s Home was already closed when we arrived. Either we rehabilitate it to make a reception structure or we will sell it,” specifies Nelly Vergez, while the General Council had bought the real estate complex from the Sisters of Sainte-Anne de la Providence in Saumur in 1972… for 37 million francs !
Three small units instead of one large: five years later, the choice is still controversial
Was the choice to dismantle the old Saint-Fraigne children’s home in favor of three small new units scattered between Saint-Fraigne, Aigre and Villefagnan, opened in 2020, relevant? Élisabeth Riglet, former CFDT staff delegate, judges him harshly. “At least five of the historic specialist educators have resigned following the deterioration of working conditions. Before, when there was a clash, two educators were always present at the same time, allowing the pressure to be reduced, this is no longer possible today, accuses the one who suffered a burnout when the school closed. establishment where 16 children were taken care of. Since then, more or less qualified temporary workers have been arriving, even though these children need stability and reference. »
She also questions the operating cost, “more significant with three houses instead of just one”: “For example, we need three night supervisors compared to just one before”. “A political choice for the well-being of children, not a financial one,” claims Brigitte Fouré, who was vice-president for child protection at the time. The more children who have problems you put together, the more explosive it is: we have favored a family foster system with 5 or 6 children, in line with the recommendations of the National Council for Child Protection. »
Thierry Roulleau, general director of GPA 79-16, the association managing the three reception units, confirms. “Three units necessarily cost more to operate than just one but allow more qualitative support, in individual rooms in particular,” specifies the one who does not deny the recruitment difficulties. The social sector is suffering at the national level, it is difficult to recruit, especially in rural areas and in reception centers where social workers are confronted with complex children’s situations. » Some temporary workers are present in the teams. “But the goal is to reduce their number to perpetuate the staff,” continues Thierry Roulleau, pointing out the additional efforts of the Department to train people locally with the IRTS of Poitiers and move towards diploma training. »
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