Various studies carried out abroad and in France have shown that having a child is linked to women becoming further removed from the labour market and to a fall in earnings (Coudin et al., 2017; Kleven et al., 2019; Pora and Wilner, 2020). This withdrawal from the labour market is partly due to childcare arrangements: in 2021, 51 per cent of children in France were cared for informally. The use of formal childcare is strongly influenced by the parents’ employment status: 82 per cent of children whose parents are in work are placed in at least one form of formal childcare, compared with 21 per cent of those whose parents are both unemployed or economically inactive (ONAPE, 2023).
To tackle the under-utilisation of childcare, the Seine-Saint-Denis Departmental Council, in collaboration with the Family Allowances Fund (CAF), has developed the ‘Fais-Moi Une Place’ (FMUP) programme in one of the department’s inter-municipal communities (Plaine Commune)..
The scheme supports parents – the vast majority of whom are mothers – in their search for formal childcare. The programme targets parents who are trying to enter the labour market but are unable to do so because of the need to care for their child or children. Between 2018 and 2021, the scheme processed more than 800 applications.
The aim of the project is to conduct an évaluation of the ‘Fais-Moi Une Place’ scheme’s impact on beneficiaries’ entry into training and employment, the vast majority of whom are women. This programme acts as a genuine platform linking the demand for and supply of childcare: on the demand side, the charity supports parents in overcoming institutional and information-related barriers to accessing childcare. The organisation primarily connects families with childminders, who are better placed to meet unexpected needs and can adapt to irregular working hours. Fais-Moi Une Place also supports childminders with their administrative procedures.
