Child protection and abuse – State of play 2025. PUBLIC REPORT – Statistical data

📜🔗LINK to the source

1. Analytical summary

Context, audiences and stakes

The report is the first edition of a national statistical overview on child protection and intra-family abuse, structured into 14 fact sheets grouped into two parts.

The first part describes the care of minors (0–17 years) and young adults (18–20 years) as of 31 December 2023: administrative benefits, judicial measures, open environment, reception, unaccompanied minors, accommodation methods, direct placements and characteristics of the entrusted children.

The second part documents the intra-family abuses experienced during childhood (sexual, physical, psychological violence, neglect, exposure to domestic violence), based on administrative data, victimisation surveys and international work.

The target audiences are all children protected by the ASE or the justice system, supported young adults, unaccompanied minors, as well as children who are victims of violence in their families, whether or not they are under protection measures.

The report addresses a dual challenge: to clarify the volumes, profiles and pathways of protected children and to make visible the forms of abuse to strengthen the coherence of public policies and professional practices.

He emphasises the need to harmonise definitions, methodologies, and data collection systems (DREES, Justice, health, security) in order to compare data over time and between countries, and to better identify blind spots.

Operational contributions for the field

The document provides time series from 2013–2023 on the number and rate of ASE measures/projects, open environment/placement sharing, judicialisation, the increase in MNA placements, and support for young adults.

It offers departmental maps and indicators (rate of care per 1,000 minors, rate of continuation in temporary placements for young adults, shares of judicial measures) that allow for situating each territory in relation to national medians.

The sheets detail the profiles of children received according to gender, age, and type of accommodation, the developments in reception modalities (foster family, institution, independent housing, other modes) and the growing role of trusted third parties.

Regarding maltreatment, the report clarifies the limitations of different sources (under-reporting, phenomena of traumatic amnesia, heterogeneous definitions) while providing orders of magnitude from large surveys (Virage, Genèse, CIASE/CIIVISE, Swiss and German data).

It sheds light on sensitive subjects: intrafamilial sexual violence, incest, severe physical violence, infanticides, shaken baby syndrome, highlighting recent work using PMSI and SNDS to improve hospital detection.

Finally, it opens avenues for the coming years (enhancement of departmental surveys, COSEP studies, education of entrusted children, deepening support for young adults), providing a framework to monitor and co-construct the improvement of practices

2. Key points of the document 

1. Sustainable increase in interventions in child protection (p. 13–18)

   Between 2013 and 2023, the number of services and measures for minors increased from 297,500 to 364,200 (+22%), while the rate of measures per 1,000 minors rose from 20.3 to 25.8, against a backdrop of demographic decline among those under 18.

   The disparities between departments are widening, with rates ranging from 13.5 ‰ (Yvelines) to 48.1 ‰ (Nièvre), revealing very differentiated strategies and capacities for care

2. Increasing judicialisation of care (p. 19–21)

   In 2023, 82.4% of care for minors are judicial measures, showing an increase compared to 2013 (78.6%), with significant variations between departments (from 66.9% to 94.9% of judicial measures across all measures)

   Judicial measures are particularly predominant in care (over 92% of situations), and largely dominant in regions with high judicialisation (Hauts-de-France, Grand-Est)

3. Inversion of the open environment / care ratio and rise of unaccompanied minors (p. 21–27, 37–39)

   The ratio between open environment and care has reversed: in 2023, the care (≈190,300) exceeds the measures in open environment (≈174,000), whereas the open environment was predominant in 2013.

   The increase in placements is closely linked to the rise in UAMs: 46,200 minors and young adults are being cared for under UAM status in 2023, with a very high proportion of boys aged 16–17.

4. Young adults: strong growth followed by a decline, support is almost exclusively administrative (p. 29–35)

   The number of young adults taken care of by departmental services rises from 21,800 to 33,400 between 2013 and 2023 (+53%), but the rate of care has slightly declined since 2021.

   As of 31 December 2023, 99.8% of interventions for young adults are based on administrative decisions and 92.2% of them are placements, with open care remaining marginal.

5. Placement methods: decrease in foster families, growth of other accommodations, role of trusted third parties (p. 39–45)

   In 2023, foster care accounts for 36% of the minors and young adults placed, behind institutional accommodation (41%), while the "other modes" (trusted third parties, sustainable and voluntary placements, housing, boarding schools, home placements…) have exploded (+321% in ten years)

   In direct placements, 86% of minors are placed with a trusted third party, with significant territorial heterogeneity in the use of this method.

3. Action points for local actors 

1. Objectively assess and argue the needs for resources and territorial rebalancing (p. 13–18, 29–35)

   Use the rates of care per 1,000 minors and departmental maps to document the disparities in the use of child protection, and support requests for capacity building in placements, open care, and support for young adults.

2. Reassess the role of the judiciary and strengthen early prevention (p. 19–21, 47–50)

   Analyse with magistrates and ASE services the local rates of judicialisation, in connection with detection practices and administrative support, to limit 'dry exits' and structure early intervention systems, particularly for those under 6 years old.

3. Adapt accommodation offers and support extended family care (p. 39–45)

   Rely on local data regarding accommodation methods (foster families, establishments, other accommodations) to adjust the planning of places and develop models of extended family care (trusted third parties, sustainable and volunteer placements) with a framework of support and training.

4. Build secure pathways for unaccompanied minors and young adults (p. 29–39)

   Use the rate of continuation in temporary accommodation for young adults and MNA statistics to co-design, with associations and integration services, pathways that include accommodation, educational support, access to rights, and socio-professional integration, avoiding discontinuities at the age of majority.

5. Articulate child protection and health for the detection of abuse (p. 71–88)

   Leverage the lessons from work based on PMSI and SNDS to strengthen protocols for detecting physical abuse and shaken baby syndrome in healthcare establishments, and coordinate responses between paediatrics, PMI, ASE, and justice.

4. Additional references 

🔍➕ For more information, see the articles referenced by "Health Practices" on the theme of Child Protection ➡️🔗 https://pratiquesensante.odoo.com/3-7-protection-de-l-enfance

1. DREES – "Child Social Assistance, 2025 edition"

   Detailed statistical guide on ASE, complementary for understanding the systems and numerical series, with a focus on AED, AEMO and children's profiles.

   Link: Child welfare – edition 2025, DREESdrees.solidarites-sante

2. ONPE – Presentation page of the report "Child protection and abuse: state of play 2025"

   Official announcement and access to the report, useful for checking updates and any methodological supplements or annex sheets.

   Link: Child protection and abuse – State of play 2025onpe.france-enfance-protegee

3. Public life – Presentation sheet of the ONPE report 2025

   Institutional summary of the report with a reminder of the context, composition in 14 sheets and issues, useful for awareness-raising or training materials

   Link: Child protection and abuse. State of play 2025public-life

5. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) 

1. What is the purpose of this report for a department or an association? (p. 7–9)

   It serves to align the available data on children in danger, identify gaps in information and situate each territory in relation to national indicators, in order to adjust protection policies and practices.

2. Which children are included in the child protection figures? (p. 15–18, 45–48)

   Included are minors (0–17 years) receiving administrative benefits or judicial measures in an open environment or in care, young adults (18–20 years) being supported, unaccompanied minors and young adults, as well as minors placed directly by the judge.

3. How have care provisions evolved between 2013 and 2023? (p. 15–18, 23–27)

   Benefits and measures are generally increasing, with a reversal of the open environment/placement ratio, a marked growth in placements – particularly for unaccompanied minors – and stronger departmental disparities.

4. What is the role of judicial decisions in care provisions? (p. 19–21)

   Judicial decisions account for more than four out of five care provisions for minors, with a clear dominance in placements and highly variable rates of judicialisation depending on the territories, which raises questions about local practices.

5. How are young adults leaving the ASE supported? (p. 29–37)

   The vast majority are supported in placements within an administrative framework (notably APJM), with rates of continued accommodation rising since 2019, but strong territorial disparities and decreases in the open environment.

6. What does the report say about intrafamilial sexual abuse? (p. 73–79)

   It presents estimates from large surveys and the CIIVISE/CIASE, confirms a high exposure of girls, highlights the long and non-linear disclosure processes, and emphasises the underestimation related to non-reporting and traumatic amnesia.f

7. How are hospital data used to identify physical violence? (p. 85–88)

   Algorithms based on PMSI and SNDS codes are developed to identify physical abuse and shaken baby syndrome in those under one year old, with promising results and the recommendation to create specific diagnostic codes.

6. FALC Version 

FALC Summary

Context and situation

• This report discusses the protection of children in France.

• It shows how many children are monitored by social services or the justice system.

• It also explains the violence in families: physical, sexual, psychological.

• The report uses recent figures up to the end of 2023

What the report provides

• It helps to better understand who the protected children are.

• It shows the differences between departments in terms of care.

• It provides insights for better supporting young people transitioning to adulthood.

• It helps professionals to identify situations of violence earlier.

Key points FALC

• An increasing number of children are monitored by child protection.

• Judges often decide on measures for children in danger.

• Young people are increasingly accommodated in institutions or with third parties

• Young adults often remain housed after 18, but not everywhere the same.

• Violence in families is common but often hidden.

7. Cross-sectional analysis – Values of health practices

• Literacy : The report uses fact sheets, definitions, and diagrams that make the figures understandable to various professional audiences, but remains poorly adapted for the general public without mediation

• Empowerment : Beneficiaries are not directly involved in the production of data; empowerment is rather indirect, through targeted improvement of policies

• Participation : Co-construction mainly concerns institutional data producers (DREES, Justice, health, security), not children or families.

• Community health : The collective dimension appears in the analysis by territory and the consideration of departmental contexts, but the logic remains focused on institutional frameworks.

• Ethics : The report highlights the biases of under-reporting and the limitations of sources, particularly for sexual and physical violence, and calls for methodological improvements to make situations visible.

• Human rights : It is part of an approach to protecting children's rights, highlighting territorial inequalities and the risks of unprepared exits from child welfare.

• Intersectorality : Partnerships between child welfare, justice, health, security, and research are at the heart of the data collection and analysis system.

• Partnership : The report formalises the role of ONPE as a resource centre, working with DREES, ministries, and researchers, but does not describe partnership models with associations in the same level of detail.

• Combating discrimination : Discrimination is not treated as an autonomous theme; however, territorial inequalities and the situation of unaccompanied minors and very young children are documented, which can help combat inequitable care.

8. Assessment of the reliability of the resource

• Scientific relevance : The report relies on robust public sources (DREES, Ministry of Justice, SNDS, PMSI, major victimisation surveys), clarifies the limitations of each source and situates the data in the context of international work.public-life+1

  The data is up to date until the end of 2023, with a publication in November 2025, which ensures high relevance for use in 2026.

• Operational relevance : The structuring into thematic sheets, standardised indicators (rates per 1,000, distribution by age, sex, type of care, departmental map) and the analysis of trends over 10 years make the document directly usable for diagnostics, action plans, advocacy and training.

  The resource is therefore reliable, scientifically robust and operationally relevant for field actors.

#ChildProtection #ViolencePrevention #ChildrenInDanger #HealthLiteracy #CommunityHealth #PublicData #EvidenceBased #healthpractices