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Hundreds of toddlers left homeless in France as crisis deepens
The latest report on child homelessness in France, released by Unicef and the Fédération des acteurs de la solidarité (FAS), reveals a grim reality: over 500 children under three years old are forced to sleep on the streets each night, highlighting a growing crisis in the nation's social safety net.
A growing crisis of child homelessness
On the night of August 18-19, 2,159 children across France were denied emergency accommodation via the national helpline 115. Among them, 503 were under the age of three—marking a staggering 37 percent rise compared to 2022. The broader picture is equally concerning, with a 30 percent increase in the number of children under 18 living on the streets over the past three years.
“This year again, we witness the indignity of very young children forced to sleep outside, exposed to daily dangers,” said Adeline Hazan, president of Unicef France.
Regional disparities and unrecorded cases
Certain regions bear the brunt of the crisis, including Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie, and Hauts-de-France. In Paris alone, 552 families were refused emergency shelter during the reporting period, while Seine-Saint-Denis recorded 403 cases and the Nord department 328.
However, these figures likely underestimate the true extent of the problem. Many in need never reach the 115 helpline. Unaccompanied minors, families living in informal settlements, and those residing in overseas territories are often excluded from official counts. A separate report on Réunion Island revealed over 1,000 children without stable housing in 2024, one-third of whom were under the age of three.
Systemic failures and funding gaps
Advocacy groups attribute the crisis to a combination of insufficient shelter capacity, underfunded emergency housing budgets, and delays in government action. Despite 203,000 available shelter places nationwide, the demand far exceeds supply. For 2025, €250 million is missing just to sustain existing services.
“This is not about a lack of resources or expertise—it is the absence of political will to end an unacceptable situation,” emphasized Hazan. Manuel Domergue from the Fondation pour le logement echoed her concerns, stressing that urgent government intervention is critical.
Calls for decisive government action
With the 2026 budget debate approaching, child welfare organizations are calling for immediate action. Their proposals include creating 10,000 additional emergency housing places, ensuring the preservation of current capacities, and establishing a national homelessness observatory modeled after the National Observatory for Child Protection.
Unicef and FAS stress one clear objective: that no child in France should be left to sleep on the streets.