Private daycare scandal: Louis Boyard wants hearings in the Assembly
The book "Les Ogres" by Victor Castanet, published this Wednesday, has sent shockwaves through the private daycare sector. The investigation conducted by the journalist, winner of the prestigious Albert Londres prize, reveals "scandalous practices" in these establishments, raising questions about the management and monitoring of private daycares in France.
Faced with these revelations, the deputy La France Insoumise (LFI) Louis Boyard, rapporteur of the family branch for the next Social Security financing bill (PLFSS), reacted firmly. Boyard, visibly "angry", intends to conduct a series of hearings of the leaders of the main private nursery groups, including Xavier Ouvrard (Babilou), Jean Emmanuel Rodocanachi (Les Petits Chaperons rouges), Philippe Tapié (People and Baby), and Sylvain Forestier (La Maison Bleue). These personalities are directly singled out in Castanet's book, and Boyard wishes to clarify their responsibility in the dysfunctions mentioned.
The MP does not intend to stop there. He is also considering summoning Aurore Bergé, former Minister of Solidarity and Family, at the heart of a controversy. According to Castanet's revelations, Bergé, in collaboration with Elsa Hervy, spokesperson for the private daycare lobby, tried to minimize the scandals by blocking the establishment of a full parliamentary inquiry. Instead, a flash mission of only two months was launched, a decision strongly criticized by the Insoumis, who demanded a six-month commission of inquiry.
Bergé, for her part, denied these accusations in a recent interview. She said her goal was to work in the "public interest" and recalled that she had ordered two missions of the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS) on the subject of microcrèches.
Louis Boyard and the LFI group plan to continue their efforts by proposing a series of amendments during the discussions on the PLFSS, with the hope of improving the regulation of private daycare centers and strengthening child protection. This scandal could well mark a turning point in the management of childcare establishments in France.
