The deputies adopted a bill to strengthen the supervision in private crèches. This could cause the abolition of many jobs for professionals with a early childhood CAP.
This Monday, February 3, the operation “dead crèche” was launched by the French Federation of Crèches Companies (FFEC) in private structures, demonstrations and/or closings of establishments are provided. In question? A draft decree aimed at strengthening the quality of reception in these establishments by replacing 40 % of holders of a early childhood CAP with more graduate professionals –Like childcare assistants – from January 1, 2026.
15,000 jobs threatened in private crèches?
This initiative was launched in the private early childhood sector to avoid new scandals after the heavy revelations of journalist Victor Castanet on drifts in the sector in 2024, published in his book “Les Ogres”. Also, the will of the National Assembly and the Government is to see the private crèches aligned with the level of diploma of public crèches.
The objective is to arrive at 40 % of category 1 health professionals, state graduates (educators of young children for example). In fact, 15,000 employees only hold an early childhood educational support in the private sector, according to the federations of the private sector. Jobs, and a grade, which could therefore be threatened in the private sector.
In 2022, a CNAF survey pointed out the lack of 10,000 category 1 professionals in the sector. “How can we say that we will remove 15,000 CAP professionals on all micro-crèches?”, Peste Thérèse Majnoni d’Intignano,vice-president of the French Federation of Crèches Companies on France Info. In total, nearly 5,000 private nurseries would be threatened due to these staff discounts.“It’s scary, finally I just started working, telling myself that my diploma will no longer be valid, it is not terrible,” worries Sélina, holder of a CAP, with RMC.
The holders of a CAP then see their diploma and their daily work disparaged. A situation that Anaïs Vé Voirard does not accept, director of two micro-crèches in Beaucourt, in the territory of Belfort. She confided in France Info: “A CAP today is completely able to support a child and his family. They do their job at best, “she says.
A union denounces a “well orchestrated lobbying offensive”
At the same time, the national union of early childhood professionals estimates that imposing “40 % of professionals holding a DEAP, Deeje or IPDE is a minium guaranteeing quality and safety”. According to him, the protest operations in progress on the part of private early childhood is a “well orchestrated lobbying offensive” of “federations and private management (…) which defend an economic model based on profitability”. Remarks relayed in the columns of France Info. The private early childhood sector saw him the birth of an online petition called “I support my crèche”, launched on January 10. She has so far collected 24,000 signatures.