Creation of structures and services for childhood

Best Practice

Topics

• Governance capacity
• Governance capacity, Policies and instruments

Short description

Care centres: evolution of the functioning of the children’s day care centre in regard to parents schedule; creation of a day care centre outside school; creation of a information and exchange place for parents and professionals of the children’s day care centre.

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Project executive

The municipality of Bourg d’Oisans Responsible Person: Brunel Christelle Commune de Bourg d'Oisans, Mairie, 38520, Bourg d'Oisans, France

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Participants

Piloting : Municipality of Bourg d’Oisans. Professionals involved in the development of the project: the day care centre’s team, the child welfare nurse of the Isère General Council, Director of the Youth club and arts centre of Bourg d’Oisans, nursery school assistants; parents also participate.

Objectives

Replying to the demands of the families and promoting the reception of new families in order to support social dynamics. Creating jobs in care centres.

Activities

Already realized: extension of the day care centre opening’s schedule in September 2004 which strengthened the existing jobs of the centre. The day care centre outside school opened in September 2004: about 10 children from 3 to 6 years old and about 10 children from 7 to 12 years old are cared by professionals between 16h30 (school closing time) and 18h30. The information and exchange place for parents and professionals of the children’s day care centre (Relais Assistantes Maternelles) was created: a special mediator assists the professionals in exchanging on the way they work and to discuss together the difficulties they experience in their jobs. A specific reflection about children’s management during the time outside school has been engaged between parents and professionals.

Process

No specific methods were used

Results

More diversified services are provided to the families of Bourg d’Oisans and these services are much more adapted to children ages and to parents demands. New reflections and new projects are now launched about issues such as the occupancy of time outside school, leisure activities and the actions implemented for children (up to 18 years). This dynamic also allowed to set up a very active group constituted of professionals and parents. This group took over themes and projects related to early childhood, childhood and youth.

Evaluation

no information about an evaluation of the project

Difficulties

The parents involved are always fairly the same. It is difficult to keep up people’s mobilisation between reflection’s phases and concrete projects. Visits from other projects and other municipalities permitted the demonstration of concrete examples, to maintain people’s commitment, and thus to give different solutions and perspectives for the municipality of Bourg d’Oisans.

Budget

69000€ per year (Euro)

Financial backer

Municipality of Bourg d’Oisans, Family Assistance Office (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales), General Council of Isere

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The construction of the building which includes all services already described will be realised with sustainable materials. High Environmental Quality norms (heating modes, choice of construction materials, the building’s atmosphere, landscape integration, etc.) will also be taken into account.

Economic value added

Jobs creation: 5 jobs for the children day care centre, 0,5 jobs for the exchange place for parents and professionals of the children’s day care centre (Relais Assistantes Maternelles), 2 jobs for the activities outside school. These jobs allow the stay of the families in the community of Bourg d’Oisans, where they live and thus contribute to a local economic development.

Socio-cultural value added

As already mentioned, the creation of jobs allows families to live and work in their place, to participate in local and cultural dynamics (i.e. associations), and to express their real demand for services. The involvement of families permit the creation of appropriate and thus effective services.

Innovative content

The participation of inhabitants leads to the creation of an association aimed at the common finding of solutions for local representatives. In this sense the project was presented to the municipality Council by the inhabitants.

Good governance

The municipality relies on the Citizens Consultative Council of the Community (4C) which brings together associations and the concerned inhabitants. The propositions are submitted to the Municipality Council. The Municipality accepts and validates the projects based on negotiations between inhabitants, professionals and representatives. These projects lead to partnerships with institutions, especially the Family Assistance Office (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) and the General Council of Isère.

PR impact

The local population is regularly informed by the way of a community newspaper. But the particular experience of the 4C would deserves to be spread wider, further than the municipality boundaries.

Multiplier effect / networking

The reflection on childhood sectors and on early childhood now brings about an increased importance of all questions related to young people and to the potential answers. This experience may be a precious example for other institutions like the Family Assistance Office. The consultative method is going to be developed further.

Transferability

The inhabitant participation’s process and methodology on everyday life issues may be transferred to others communities and regions.

Further information