As the examination of the bill on child protection approaches, the CNAPE, UNICEF France and GEPSO are stepping up to the plate. Supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders, the three organizations are proposing 120 amendments to fill the gaps in a text that they consider insufficient in the face of the crisis facing child welfare.
A bill considered too limited in the face of a deep crisis
Child protection is once again at the heart of parliamentary debates. At the opening of the special committee, CNAPE, UNICEF France and GEPSO presented 120 amendments intended to strengthen the bill relating to the protection of children.
In their press release published on June 29, 2026, the organizations believe that the text currently submitted to Parliament lacks political ambition. While they welcome certain advances, particularly in terms of checking the integrity of professionals, they consider that these measures remain largely insufficient in view of the major crisis that child protection is experiencing today.
According to them, previous reforms are still not fully implemented, while the needs of children entrusted to Child Welfare (ASE), their families and professionals continue to increase.
A reform that goes well beyond the 10 articles of the bill
Among the 120 amendments, around twenty aim directly to improve the 10 articles of the bill. The others propose introducing new provisions to respond to subjects missing from the text.
The organizations are calling in particular for a reform of national governance and financing of child protection, with the creation of an interministerial strategy, an interministerial committee for children and a dedicated multi-year fund. They also want to strengthen controls in establishments and improve transparency on unexecuted investments.
The summary of the amendments also plans to guarantee supervision rates, to better support family assistants, to create a legal status for children in care, to strengthen the rights of children to be heard and to improve support towards the autonomy of young adults leaving the ASE.
Proposals to respond to the most fragile situations
The amendments also address several topics that the organizations consider priorities.
They propose in particular to strengthen the care of unaccompanied minors, to improve access to care for protected children, to better support children with disabilities and to develop specific measures against the sexual exploitation of minors.
Among the proposals also include the creation of a national framework to better identify and protect minors who are victims of exploitation, the integration of these issues into sexuality education in schools or even a principle of non-prosecution of minors forced to participate in illicit activities because they are victims of trafficking.
The organizations call for a substantive debate, far from the media emergency
The press release also returns to the government’s announcements made after the Lyhanna affair.
The signatories recognize that the emotion aroused by this affair makes the urgency to act incontestable. However, they call for vigilance, believing that child protection reform must not be dictated by the media agenda nor be used for political purposes.
They emphasize that several measures announced, in particular on investigation deadlines or the strengthening of penalties, would risk confusing the objectives of the bill if they were integrated urgently, while a transpartisan bill devoted to the fight against sexist and sexual violence against women and children is already being examined by the Council of State.
The organizations are calling for the 120 amendments to be fully examined during debates in public session at the National Assembly, starting July 15. Finally, they remind us that a law alone will not be enough to get the ESA out of the crisis in the long term. They call for lasting political will, increased resources and better recognition of professionals who support children on a daily basis.