A significant step has been taken in the process of strengthening child protection services in short. Christelle Winter, president of the Departmental Council, chaired the official installation of the information and evaluation mission dedicated to Child Social Aid (ASE), with the aim of drawing up a detailed assessment of the functioning of services concerned, while offering concrete ways of improvement. This mission, which is part of a context of the desire to strengthen the management of vulnerable children and families, has emerged under the leadership of the Departmental Council, in close collaboration with elected officials of all political sensitivities.
The mission is made up of seven members chosen to the proportional representation of the departmental assembly, a guarantee of plurality and diversity of points of view. At the head of this commission, we find Christelle winter, surrounded by several vice-presidents and local political representatives. “This mission must be done in the greatest transparency and in a climate of trust, in order to act concretely and effectively for children who need specific support,” said the president, stressing the importance of working collectively , without a partisan issue, but with a common objective: to improve existing devices and guarantee better care of children entrusted to ASE.
The information and evaluation mission will be given four months to carry out its work. The members of the Commission have already defined the operating methods and the methodology that will guide their work. The idea is to focus on specific improvement axes while establishing a precise input of the structures in place. Child protection services will be analyzed in depth, but also partner structures that work daily in this area. At the end of this work, a detailed report will be submitted within two months, with concrete recommendations for the attention of the departmental assembly.
This initiative is part of a broader framework of reassessment and readjustment of public policies concerning the protection of children, a crucial issue for the Department of Somme. In 2024, the latter devoted more than 112 million euros to this policy, with the aim of guaranteeing a safe environment favorable to the development of children in vulnerability. The implementation of the information mission is part of this dynamic, with the clear desire to strengthen the effectiveness of ASE systems, both in the organization and in the support of families.
The Departmental Council, under the direction of Christelle Winter and her team, undertakes to re -examine in depth the devices in place for social assistance to childhood, starting from an objective analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the system system . According to the president, “it is a question of finding solutions adapted to the realities on the ground, and of evolving practices so that each child can benefit from the protection and the support he deserves”. A constructive approach and centered on the best interests of the child is at the heart of this mission. The recommendations which will result from this mission will serve as a basis for a debate in public session, allowing the departmental assembly to make informed decisions. In parallel, special attention will be paid to the way in which the recommendations can be implemented in a concrete and effective way, to ensure that each child in short benefits from a serene future, in a secure and benevolent setting.
