European Mentoring Summit France: « Tous Parrains! »

European Mentoring Summit
France: « Tous Parrains! »
Netherlands, 17th March 2016
©: Xavier Schwebel/Secours catholique
©: David Métra/Secours catholique
Tous Parrains!
A group of 6 French charities that provide mentoring to children
and young people in France: UNAF, UNAPP, Parrains Par’Mille,
Grands parrains, France Parrainages, Secours Catholique
AIM: work together in order to promote mentoring in France and
share practices
Objectives of « Tous parrains »
Lobbying activities with local and national public institutions
Increase public funding
Share best practice and promote innovation
Promote mentoring and increase knowledge amongst the general public
Increase national and European visibility
Promote social and scientific research on mentoring
Mentoring in France « Tous Parrains! »
• 6 key actors
• How it works:
• The group represent over 2 500 children and cover
the whole of France
• Mentoring is organised by the charity, that
acts as third party; we support them over the
years and ensures it goes as smooth as
possible
• 2015: Creation of a common group
• 2016:
Partnership with the French government on a national
pilot study around single-parent families (January)
Participation to the European Mentoring Summit (March)
Launch of the group and « Mentoring Week » (June)
• February 2017: Organisation of a European
mentoring summit in Paris
• Mentors and children are in regular contact,
they share simple but special moments in life
over a significant period of time
• A strong bond is created, through regular
meetings (week end, holidays, etc)
• The mentor gives time to support and
encourage the young person
Profiles of young people
Age: Children: 0 to 18 and Young people: 18 +
Provide appropriate support based on different needs:
Young asylum seekers
Isolated foreign minors
Children in foster care
Isolated families with high level of needs /single parent
Extend mentoring for young adults with high level of needs, esp. NEET
Under 18s mothers in foster care
Etc.
Profiles of mentors
No specific criteria!
All volunteers can mentor children and young people
©: Stéphanie Lacombe pour Parrains Par Mille
Impact studies – France Parrainages 2014
Origins – Spreading of the model
Secours Catholique/Caritas France:
2 cities started mentoring locally
The head office felt the need for a national project and developed a framework of activity
Other regions started to launch mentoring project
Parrains Par mille
A head office idea, spread out across some regions where opportunities occurred
France Parrainages
A head office idea matched with some local needs and opportunities
Spreading of the model
Reasons
Increase the number of children mentored
Strengthen each initiative through discussions, meetings and sharing best pratice
Increase national coverage
Increase in demand from local governments, increase in poverty, single-parent families, etc
How does it work?
One national framework and local models
Respond according to local needs
« Spreading of the model »: Key success factors
Being a local actor that belongs to a national network
Having a common set of rules and national guidelines (not free style!)
Create a local network with parents, mentors and volunteers = regular meetings
all together, with the children
Really investigate the local needs in order to adapt local mentoring
Create local partnerships with local government, charities and actors
A mix of national and local media coverage to “attract” mentors
Share best practice within the network and with other local actors
Thank you!
©: Stéphanie Lacombe pour Parrains Par Mille