When and with whom a child may be placed
The children's judge may order placement where the child's protection requires it. The child may be placed with the other parent, a relative, a trusted third party, the departmental child welfare service or an approved service or establishment.
Except in an emergency, before selecting the child welfare service or an establishment, the judge must have an assessment of possible care by a relative or trusted third party and must hear a child with sufficient understanding. The outcome therefore depends on the child's protection needs and the practical care options.
Read every term of the placement order
The operative terms state who will care for the child, for how long and under which arrangements. Identify contact, overnight stay and correspondence rights, any requirement for supervised contact, specific obligations and any prohibition on the child leaving French territory.
Immediate checklist: keep the order and its envelope, identify the allocated professional, obtain the placement address unless it is protected, clarify transport and contact times, and record the expected report and hearing dates. An oral instruction should not be mistaken for a judicial variation of the order.
Parental responsibility and contact during placement
Parents retain the aspects of parental responsibility that are compatible with the measure. They should remain involved in decisions that still require their authority, including health, education and identity documents, subject to any specific authority the judge gives to the carer.
Parents generally retain rights of correspondence, contact and overnight stay. The judge may set strict arrangements, temporarily suspend contact or require a third party to be present where the child's interests require it. A continuing dispute about implementation may be referred to the judge.
The child's views and important relationships
The care setting must be chosen in the child's interests and, where possible, make family contact easier. Maintaining relationships between siblings should also be pursued unless the interests of a particular child require different arrangements.
A child with sufficient understanding must be able to express their views. Useful points for the care plan include school, healthcare, activities, sibling contact, personal belongings, means of communication and trusted adults. These matters can be raised with the service, the child's lawyer and the judge.
Review, renewal and challenge of placement
The order fixes the duration of the measure, generally within a maximum of two years, and renewal must be reasoned. A longer period is possible in the particular circumstances defined by the Civil Code. The judge may also vary or discharge the measure at any time if developments justify it.
For an effective review, document care conditions, completed contact visits, school, health, changes in the parents' circumstances and a practical proposal for the future. An authorised person must appeal within fifteen days of notification. A later application to vary the measure instead relies on new circumstances.
Discuss your situation
You can send the firm the essential facts, relevant dates and any known deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Can the judge place the child with a relative instead of the child welfare service?
Yes. The Civil Code allows placement with a relative or trusted third party where that arrangement protects the child and can operate in practice.
Can the placement address be kept confidential?
Yes. Where the child's interests or a danger require it, the judge may order that the care location is not disclosed.