“What a beautiful job you do! », “It doesn’t have to be funny every day!” », “You must see difficult situations! »… So many phrases that mark the projections that people have of our profession and the interventions of ” social services “as they are called… We can however regret that we do not hear about these same ” social services “ that when, faced with a situation of aggravation of the danger (battery and injury, rape, incest, even death), one is questioned on “but what are they doing? »
Let’s face it: what can motivate people to work in the social sector and more specifically in child protection? It is certainly not the lure of the salary! Nor the societal valorization, since, beyond the misunderstanding of our missions, it is very often a pointing which is carried out when, for reasons of deterioration of the living conditions of minors, the subject is brought on the media sphere.
No, what brings us together is a somewhat naive and utopian desire to help minors whose danger is proven (parental conflicts, precariousness, difficulties with hygiene, care, school drop-out, intra-family violence, physical, sexual, psychological, etc.). The panel of endangerments is varied, diversified, we will never fail to be surprised at the ” creativity “ situations that minors are led to experience.
A significant lack of resources
The base ? Being there for the child, wiping out family opposition and resistance in the face of forced measures, witnessing situations that are sometimes heartbreaking, often saddening. Our missions? Reduce the danger by all the means at our disposal. Our tools? Our professional skills, our knowledge of the devices, the multidisciplinary and partnership work, and above all our desire and our motivation.
It is extremely regrettable on this last point that the current context of lack of resources and saturation of care systems is beginning to have a significant impact, leading to exhaustion, demobilization, even disillusionment. Behind the scenes ? For example: when a magistrate is required, on the recommendation of our services, to issue a provisional placement order (OPP), the minor is entrusted to the responsibility of social assistance for children.
It is terrible to note that, the homes and foster families being saturated, many placements cannot be assured. The miners, under the influence of the unrealized OPP, return to their homes, a place of danger, while waiting for a place. And our service, although carrying the placement request, remains mandated to go to this same home, which in fact is all the more hostile to them.
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