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France Rolls Out Nationwide Child-Worker Vetting, Blocking 1,733 Already in Post

The new attestation system cross-checks criminal and sex‑offense files, issuing certificates whose refusal obliges employers to dismiss affected staff.

Overview

  • Professionals and volunteers in child protection and early childhood must now present an online honorability certificate at hiring and at regular intervals, with people over 13 living in assistants’ homes also checked.
  • Authorities report 342,000 attestations issued during the pilot phases, with about 65% concerning early childhood roles.
  • Attestations were refused for 1,733 people, roughly 80% in child protection services, representing about 1% of staff in Aide sociale à l’enfance establishments.
  • Employees request the certificate and employers verify its authenticity online, with approvals typically generated in about three days when no disqualifying record appears.
  • Officials cite possession of child sexual abuse images among common grounds for refusal, and the government plans to extend checks in 2026 to adoption candidates and later to disability and elder care sectors.