New Child Protection Bill: What Will Change for Your Children

A new child protection bill is currently under consideration, and the Council for Childhood and Adolescence of the HCFEA has just delivered its verdict. While the institution generally supports the text, it has set strict conditions and requests the withdrawal of several measures that could directly impact the daily lives of families and the most vulnerable children.

The Best Interest of the Child Remains the Absolute Compass

The Council for Childhood and Adolescence adopted its opinion on April 21, 2026, reminding that every decision must place the child's interest at the center of discussions. Although the Council supports the overall spirit of the text, it regrets that this bill does not fully meet the ambition of a complete overhaul of the child protection policy promised last year. Among the points of concern, the Council emphasizes the need to prohibit, or at least strictly regulate, the management of establishments by for-profit private organizations to ensure that the well-being of children always comes before any other purpose.

The Shortened Adoption Timeline Lacks Consensus

One of the most sensitive points of the text concerns Article 2, which proposes to reduce the timeline for presenting a child for adoption from one year to just six months for children under three years old. For the Council, this is a negative opinion accompanied by a request for withdrawal.

This six-month period is deemed far too short to ensure that biological parents have received all the necessary support to overcome their difficulties. Reducing this reflection time risks creating a bias in the assessment of parental capabilities and transforming the missions of Child Welfare Services (ASE) into a goal of rapid adoption, sometimes at the expense of respecting family ties.

Health and Support for Young People Require More Guarantees

The bill also seeks to facilitate access to medical or preventive care for children placed in ASE.

While the Council approves of the idea, it proposes to adjust the wording so that parents, even if they are not immediately reachable, are informed of their child's care results, unless the child explicitly opposes this.

Additionally, a strong proposal is highlighted: to guarantee social and educational support for young people in ASE until their twenty-fifth birthday, without any resource conditions. The objective is simple: to ensure that no one is left behind at the transition to adulthood.

The Role of PMI Must Be Preserved

Finally, the Council firmly opposes the transfer of the approval of foster parents to a service other than Maternal and Child Protection (PMI). PMI services have accumulated unique expertise and know-how over the years.

According to the opinion issued, such a transfer could weaken the quality of case processing, which could be detrimental to the safety of children. On the other hand, the Council welcomes the creation of respite care facilities, which meet a concrete need for relief for families and children.

This bill is an important step, but the Council reminds us that child protection cannot be achieved without solid governance and real resources to support each life path. We now hope that these recommendations will be heard to ensure a more secure future for all children.