Develop and promote health, education, access to culture, and professional integration for children, adolescents, and young adults under the care of Child Protective Services.

In France:

  • On average, one child dies every three days as a result of domestic violence (122 children died in 2020 according to the report by the French National Observatory for Child Protection).

  • 14% of children are victims of, or will be victims of some form of abuse, whether it be emotional neglect or physical, psychological, or sexual abuse.

  • The average life expectancy for young people who have been in Child Protective Services, if they do not receive timely treatment for their physical and mental health issues, is 20 years below the national average for France.

Creating brighter futures for child victims of violence

Children who are victims of serious domestic violence or neglect are put in the care of Child Protective Services (Aide sociale à l’Enfance) who may then place them in care homes or with foster families to ensure their safety. Today, 380,000 children in France are under the care of Child Protective Services, and more than half of those children are currently in foster care.

These children require specialized care to address the dual traumas of their situation: both the trauma linked to the abuse they have suffered and the trauma inherent in the sudden change of environment and upheaval.

In order to respond as effectively as possible to these children’s complex and unique health needs, IM'PACTES has opened France's first support center for children in the former Netter nursery school in the 12th arrondissement of Paris: a multidisciplinary, expert healthcare facility created specifically for this purpose. The Kering Foundation was the first private funder to support this project.

Asterya: the first support center dedicated to children in the care of the Child Protective Services

The center ensures that each child receives comprehensive care as early as possible, following a thorough physical and mental health assessment. This is achieved through the implementation of a coordinated, gradual, and specialized care pathway, with long-term follow-up. This specialized center, whose day hospital is attached to Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, also offers training courses on specific issues relating to children in care for healthcare professionals, national education professionals, and social workers who work directly with children.

Creating brighter futures for child victims of violence

In 2013, Dr. Céline Gréco, a physician and researcher specializing in pain management at the Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, published La Démesure under the pseudonym Céline Raphael, a book about the intrafamilial violence she suffered from the age of 4 until she was placed in the care of Child Protective Services at the age of 14.

She became a voice for children under the care of Child Protective Services in France and founded IM'PACTES in 2022 to improve the physical and psychological care provided to child victims, and to guarantee their future opportunities through work on education and professional integration.

IM'PACTES's goal is to develop an innovative and quantifiable approach to supporting and assisting children, nurturing their talents, and building their confidence in themselves and in their futures. In order to focus on three main areas—health, education, and culture, the organization has set up child support centers and health centers dedicated to the physical and mental health of the children in its care. It has also designed three programs focused on education and access to culture, adapted to the needs of children of different ages:

  • The Discovery program (ages 0 to 12) offers activities focused on schooling and cultural and social awareness (mentoring, bibliotherapy, cultural outings, dance, etc.).
  • The Ambition program (ages 13 to 17) supports teenagers in their academic success and socio-professional integration through internships, mentorships, and academic tutoring, as well as cultural activities such as field trips, bibliotherapy, and dance.
  • The Future program (ages 18 to 25) supports young adults who are or were previously in the care of the Child Protective Services in their social and professional integration by donating computers, helping them to access secondary education, providing grants, offering independent workshops and helping to create a café space for young adults formerly in care.

In 2024:

1,000

children attended cultural outings (concerts, basketball games, the Gospel Festival, circuses, exhibitions, operas, etc.).

635

young people received support through the Education program.

6,192

hours of mentoring were provided.

112

future kits were distributed (each containing a backpack, a laptop, a cell phone, a prepaid SIM card valid for two years, and a FUTURE booklet).

88

child protection organizations partnered with IM’PACTES.

❝How can we accept today that child victims of domestic violence lose 20 years of their life expectancy when it’s possible to prevent this tragic outcome through early, targeted intervention? How can we accept today that only 13% of children under the care Child Protective Services complete junior high? That only 4% go on to pursue higher education? That 45% of young people aged 18 to 25 who experience homelessness have been under the care of Child Protective Services? It’s for all of these reasons that I decided to create IM’PACTES.❞

Céline Greco