High Commissioner for Children Sarah El-Haïry called on Thursday, August 6, for a single interministerial service to check the background of youth leaders. She made the announcement during a visit to a summer camp in Calvi, Haute-Corse.
Speaking to children at the Dolce Vita campsite in Calvi, El-Haïry said summer camps are much more than summer stays. She described them as a pillar of popular education where children discover independence, learn to live with others, gain self-confidence, and open up to the world.
El-Haïry said that following scandals in Paris after-school care and at the Bétharram school, authorities must be exemplary on safety to preserve the summer camp model. She added that parents need to know everything is being done to protect their children.
Disqualifications and background checks
El-Haïry highlighted the child protection bill passed unanimously by deputies in June. She pointed to two major advances in the legislation: harmonising disqualifications from working so prohibitions fully apply to group youth hosting, and introducing regular honorability checks every three years rather than only at recruitment.
El-Haïry said she wants to go further and shift doctrine toward a single interministerial service for administrative and judicial background checks to standardise tools and strengthen child protection. She said the best way to defend summer camps is to guarantee they remain places of trust, safety, and fulfillment for every child.
According to the National Institute of Youth and Popular Education, 1.3 million children and teenagers went to summer camps in 2024-2025. The institute reported that attendance at group accommodations with housing fell four percent compared to the previous year and remains below pre-health crisis levels.
El-Haïry expressed confidence in the thousands of youth leaders, directors, and volunteers who perform remarkable work, while promising absolute firmness toward anyone who threatens child safety.
