What the judge orders under AEMO
Where possible, French law favours keeping the child in their current environment. The judge appoints a qualified person or service to support and advise the family, monitor the child's development and report to the judge periodically.
Read the order point by point: duration, appointed service, objectives, any specific obligations and the next review date. The judge may, for example, make continued residence at home conditional on regular school attendance, healthcare or another obligation suited to the child's circumstances.
How the support operates in practice
The service usually arranges an initial meeting followed by meetings with the child and parents. Depending on the mandate, work may concern daily life, school, health, family relationships, material conditions and access to support. The frequency of meetings differs from one case to another.
At the outset, ask who the allocated worker is, how to contact them, which objectives will be addressed and when a review is expected. Keep a concise record of appointments, proposals and difficulties so that a later disagreement does not depend on conflicting memories.
The parents' and child's place during AEMO
AEMO is a judicial measure, but the judge must seek the family's cooperation. Cooperating does not mean accepting every conclusion reached by the service. Parents may state a disagreement, ask for a fact to be checked and submit factual observations to the judge.
The child should receive an age-appropriate explanation and have an opportunity to describe their experience. If the judge has authorised a specially approved service to provide exceptional or periodic accommodation, the parents, judge and departmental authority must be told whenever it is used. Any disagreement about that accommodation may be referred to the judge.
Preparing for the report and review hearing
The service reports to the judge on the child's development and the work undertaken. Enhanced or intensive support may be ordered for a maximum period of one year and may be renewed. Continuing, changing or ending AEMO requires a fresh assessment of the circumstances.
Review checklist: the objectives in the order, meetings that took place, changes affecting the child, healthcare or school issues, support put in place, continuing difficulties and the proposal for the future. Observations should separate verifiable facts from conclusions with which the family disagrees.
Responding to a problem or change in circumstances
A practical problem should first be stated clearly to the service: an impossible appointment, inaccurate information, no response, disagreement about a referral or a difficulty for the child. A short written record makes it possible to request a correction or meeting.
If the issue affects the measure itself, an application may be made to the judge to vary or discharge it on the basis of new circumstances. The original or renewal order may also be appealed within fifteen days after notification.
Discuss your situation
You can send the firm the essential facts, relevant dates and any known deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Can parents ask for a different worker while still complying with AEMO?
A working difficulty should be raised with the service using specific facts. A change of worker is not automatic, but a reasoned request can be considered without disputing the existence of the measure itself.
Can the AEMO service decide on long-term placement by itself?
No. Long-term placement requires a judicial order or, in an emergency, a provisional measure under the relevant legal procedure. Exceptional or periodic accommodation within some AEMO orders is subject to specific authority and notification requirements.