SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

What parents in France need to know about school closures and the help they can get

As schools in France stayed closed on Tuesday as part of the third nationwide lockdown measures that took effect this weekend, many parents will be left juggling work and childcare. Here's a look at the help that is available.

What parents in France need to know about school closures and the help they can get
French school children are working from home this week, just like they did back in the spring of 2020. Photo: SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

“We will close crèches, schools, and high schools for three weeks,” French President Emmanuel Macron said during a live speech on March 31st where he announced new measures to halt the spread of Covid-19 across the country.

These are the dates to look out for:

Monday, April 5th – a week of distance learning for all schools

Monday, April 12th – the start of the two-week Easter holiday for all schools, across all areas (a change in holiday dates for most schools)

Monday, April 26th – return of in-person infant and primary classes – secondary and high schools to continue with distance learning

Monday, May 3rd – secondary and high schools return to in-person classes

The help parents can get

Parents who are unable to work while their children are out of school will qualify for temporary work furlough or financial aid, the president promised.

“All the measures currently in force will be extended,” Macron said.

A public scheme providing aid to parents whose children’s school or class closed has been in place since September 1st 2020

Parents or guardians can ask to be placed on partial leave or to get an arrêt de travail (doctor’s certificate) for the time they need to be absent from work.

However what parents are entitled to depends on their job and household situation.

Here’s an overview:

Private sector employees who cannot work remotely

Employees in the private sector who are not able to work from home can get on the chômage partiel (furlough) scheme. The scheme remains in place for parents who have to stay home with their children due to Covid, however there are a few catches to receive this aid. Firstly, both parents or guardians have to be unable to work from home (unless they are a single parent). Secondly, the employer has to be the one stating that the employee is needed in the office, as the Education Ministry confirmed to French daily Le Parisien.

Thirdly, the child in question must be either under 16 years old or disabled.

The parent set to take care of the child also has to provide their employer with a written statement confirming that the school or class has closed, OR a document from the Assurance maladie social security service stating that the child is considered a Covid contact case.

Lastly, the parent has to write an attestation sur l’honneur – that specific French legal form where you swear on your “honour”, more information HERE – that they are the only parent asking to benefit from this aid. 

If all this is done correctly, the employee will be declared as furloughedwhich means that the state pays 84 percent of their salary (100 percent for employees on the minimum wage). The scheme begins on the first day of the arrêt de travail and can last until the last day of the child’s isolation period or when the school or class reopens, as applicable.

Private sector employees who can work remotely

Parents who are employees in the private sector and who can work from home are in a less protected situation.

They can get a doctor’s certificate for time off work in order to take care of a small child, although there are no rules regulating the age of the child or circumstances here. It is really up to the employer, so parents finding themselves in this situation will have to negotiate with their boss directly.

Self-employed and freelancers

Self-employed, small business owners and freelancers may also get a doctor’s certificate in order to stay at home and claim compensation of their salaries these days. Again, this goes for those with children either under the age of 16 or with disabilities.

This group includes independent agricultural workers, nannies, artists, independent health workers, people working on a contractual basis for the public sector and others – full list on the government’s website HERE.

Parents in this situation need to make a request online via the Caisse nationale de l’Assurance maladie (CNAM), link HERE, or via the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA), link HERE.

Two-parent families may share the leave between parents if they wish. They will need to provide a document confirming the closure of the school or class, OR that their child is considered a contact case. 

Self-employed people without a fixed salary may apply for the Solidarity Fund, the government’s scheme that gives out grants to the self-employed whose revenues have dropped due to Covid-19. The amounts self-employed people are entitled to depend on their type of business and how much income they have lost. Full details on the government’s website HERE.

EXPLAINED: The economic help schemes that businesses and the self-employed in France can now benefit from

Public sector employees 

Parents who work in the public sector can get a so-called ‘special authorisation of absence’ (ASA), which reimburses them 100 percent for the days concerned. Only one parent per household can get this support, and only if the child is younger than 16 years old or disabled.

In order to benefit from the scheme they have to provide their employer with two documents: a letter from the school stating that their child has to stay home and an attestation sur l’honneur declaring that they are the only one asking to benefit from this support for the days concerned.

For more information, visit the government’s website, link HERE.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

LIVING IN FRANCE

How older people in France can get free assistance for outings

The scheme 'Sortir Plus' (Get out more) is available for some over-75s in France providing support and company for outings. Here is what you need to know and how to qualify

How older people in France can get free assistance for outings

What is it?

The programme is called Sortir Plus which translates roughly to ‘Get around more’. It aims to connect older people with a trusted person to accompany them on outings, whether that be going out on a walk, or heading to an appointment with the doctor or hairdresser, or simply going out for a meal.

The companion will be a professional, usually a home-help, and they cannot offer medical services but can provide aid, company and support on trips out.

Who can benefit?

The programme is intended for people over 75 years old who are in a ‘fragile situation’, whether that be due to isolation, age, or mobility challenges.

However, it is only available to those who worked in France in the private sector – in order to qualify, you must receive the supplementary ‘Agirc-Arrco’ pension.

You only need to have worked in France for a minimum period of three months in order to qualify, but it does not apply for former public sector employees, or to people who worked in another country and then retired to France.

What’s the Agirc-Arrco complementary pension?

Basically, France’s pension system offers a ‘base’ regime, which is what most people think of when discussing pensions. It is calculated based on the number of trimestres (quarters) you worked. 

Then there is also the ‘complementary’ regime, which works on a points system and depends on your sector. You are automatically signed up to a complementary regime when you start working in France.

READ MORE: Ask the experts: What foreigners living in France need to know about French pensions

The Agirc-Arrco complementary pension represents the vast majority of people who worked in the private sector – public sector employees have a different plan.

Similar to the ‘base’ pension system, you can qualify even if you only worked for a short period of time in France, but the amount paid out would be smaller.

If you worked in France, but you are not sure what type of ‘complementary’ pension you fall under, you can check out the website info-retraite.fr and log in using your social security number (or France Connect).

If you have worked and paid contributions for more than one trimestre in France, you will find an account set up ready for you which shows your years of contributions in France, and what pension you can expect.

The advantage of the French system is that your pension contributions are deducted automatically, even when you change jobs, and the government keeps track of it all via your social security number.

So how do I sign up for ‘Sortir Plus’?

You can start by getting in contact with an adviser by calling the phone number 0 971 090 971. You can call anytime from Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.30pm, excluding public holidays.

Try to call at least two days ahead of the activity you want to be accompanied to.

Then, a professional will take stock of your situation and determine whether you qualify for assistance. They will also inform you of the amount of aid you are eligible for. 

If you qualify, they will connect you with an approved professional who will come to pick you up at the date and time you requested for your activity. Depending on the situation, they may stay with you or come back to collect you afterwards.

You can also request to have the same person accompany you for future outings. The person you will be matched with is a professional – they will either be an employee of a home help or transport organisation. 

If you prefer not to call, you can also do the request online from your personal space on the Agirc-Arrco website. 

In terms of cost, you will not need to pay anything out of pocket during your outing (aside from the activity you are doing of course). The transport and accompaniment costs are covered by Agirc-Arrco and are limited to a certain amount each year.

This means that when you call to organise an outing, they will look at the amount available to you and determine if it falls under the yearly maximum.

What if I don’t qualify? Are there alternatives?

France has plenty of services to help older people, and there is a government website dedicated to the various forms of assistance available.

You can also visit your nearest point d’information local to find out about elderly care in your area. Find one in your area by entering your postcode here.

READ MORE: Explained: The help available for older people in France

If you need someone to help with daily tasks, such as meals, personal care and housework you can seek out an aide à domicile (home-help aid).

Depending on where you live, organisations that offer auxiliaires de vie (carer) services may be provided by the mairie, the centre communal d’action sociale (CCAS) or private businesses. 

Regardless of who’s providing the services, they have to be accredited by the départemental authorities.

The cost of using these services can be at least partially offset by applying for the means-tested Allocation personnalisée d’autonomie APA à domicile (APA), which is intended to help cover expenses faced by people with reduced autonomy who want to maintain an independent lifestyle, or who live with and are cared for by family members.

APA, available to over-60s, is managed and paid for by the each conseil départemental, which considers each case on its merits, with personalised care plans adapted to individual needs.

If you only need temporary help – for example if you’re recovering after an operation – you may be eligible for aide sociale, although you’ll need a doctor’s prescription. Any required short or long-term care in this case will be paid for via assurance maladie.

SHOW COMMENTS