Host family (family assistant)
Verified 29 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You want to know what the job of family assistant is, how long is the mission, if you need to obtain an accreditation, follow a training, how is the remuneration determined...? You also wonder whether the rights and duties towards the child (parental authority) are transferred to the family assistant? We present you the information to know.
The mission is to house at home, for remuneration, one or more children (0 to 21 years old) in difficulty.
The family assistant exercises his profession as employee services of the department or a children's aid association.
With people residing at home, the family assistant constitutes a host family.
In principle, the reception is of long duration, but it can happen that it is urgent and of short duration.
To obtain approval as a host family, you must meet the following conditions:
- Have French nationality, be a citizen of the EEA or have a valid residence permit authorizing the exercise of a professional activity
- Not having been convicted for acts related to children
- Undergo a medical examination to ensure that your state of health allows you to welcome children
- Provide reception conditions that guarantee the safety, health and development of the children (physical, intellectual and emotional).
Approval is issued by the services of your department.
During the 1era It is recommended to participate in the information meetings organized by the maternal and child protection service (PMI) of the department.
How do I submit the application?
On site
You must provide the following:
- Medical certificate ensuring that your state of health allows you to welcome children
- Application form.
The application file can be submitted by hand to the services of your department.
IMP and Families Planning Sub-Directorate
By post
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75570 PARIS CEDEX 12
On site
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75012 PARIS
If your file is incomplete, the receiving department will ask you for the missing parts within 15 days.
By post
You must send the following documents by registered letter with AR: titleContent with the services of your department:
- Medical certificate ensuring that your state of health allows you to welcome children
- Application form.
Please note
One excerpt from bulletin n°2 of the criminal record adults living in your home are necessary for your file to be complete, except for those admitted as part of a social assistance measure. However, you can't ask for it yourself. It is the department's services that will request it directly from the national criminal record.
Demand analysis: what are the steps?
The department's Maternal and Child Protection Department (PMI) has 4 months to process your application.
The instruction consists of the following steps:
- Study of your application file
- One or more interviews with you
- One or more visits to your home
The PMI service uses a criteria grid to verify that you meet the conditions for accreditation. It also checks that you are proficient in French.
How is the accreditation decision made?
Approval is granted if your reception conditions guarantee the safety, health and development of the children. Your ability to care for a child is also taken into account.
The decision is yours notified in the 4 months upon receipt of your complete application package.
If you do not receive a response within this period, this means that you are granted approval. A certificate of approval is sent to you.
In case of refusal, the letter addressed to you specifies the grounds and possibilities of appeal.
The decision (or certificate) mentions the number of minors and young adults under 21 years of age that you can accommodate at the same time. This number is limited to 3, unless exceptionally authorized.
Approval shall be granted for 5 years.
Yes. To work as a family assistant, you must undergo vocational training.
This training aims to prepare you for the reception of children or young adults entrusted by the child protection services and to guarantee the quality of the reception.
The training conditions depend on your situation and your professional background:
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General case
Internship prior to the reception of the 1er child
Before welcoming your first child, you must follow a mandatory pre-placement.
The purpose of this internship is to:
- to inform you about the job of family assistant,
- prepare for the reception of a child at home,
- to present your responsibilities and your professional role.
This internship is a mandatory condition to accommodate a child.
Training leading to the State Diploma of Family Assistant
After signing your 1er employment contract, you must follow a training leading to the State Diploma of Family Assistant.
This training is organized in alternation, i.e. it combines theoretical teaching with professional practice. It takes place over a period of between 18 and 36 months and is structured in blocks, corresponding to different fields of learning.
These blocks include:
- support for the child in his daily life and development,
- taking into account his needs, his history and his family situation,
- participation in work with child welfare services,
- the professional positioning of the family assistant.
Each block can be validated independently. The validation of all the blocks makes it possible to obtain the State diploma of family assistant.
You have a diploma as a child care assistant, early childhood educator, special education educator or child care worker
If you have a diploma as a child care assistant, early childhood educator, special education teacher or child care worker, you must, like any family assistant, follow the pre-reception training for the first child.
You must also follow the training leading to the State Diploma of Family Assistant.
However, your degree and professional experience may be taken into account for adapt the training pathway.
This consideration may allow:
- one alleviation of certain parts of the training,
- or the validation of certain blockswithout having to follow them in full.
You have the status of employee.
You are paid according to the number of children you have and the length of time they are there.
Each department determines the remuneration of family assistants by deliberation.
The minimum remuneration for a child is at least equivalent to the monthly minimum wage (€1,823.03), from which social security contributions must be deducted and to which the supplementary allowance (known as maintenance allowance).
The shares corresponding to each additional reception may not be less than 70 times the hourly minimum wage (841.40) per month and per child.
There may be an increase for subjection exceptional in continuous or intermittent reception and emergency hospitality allowance.
Employee status of a legal person
As a family assistant employed by a government department or agency, you are not covered by the usual labor law. Your activity is governed by specific rules, adapted to the particular nature of your mission.
You are not a civil servant, but your contract does not follow the traditional rules of private sector employees either. Your status is therefore separate, with its own rights and obligations, which can sometimes be different from those of other employees.
Conclusion of the employment contract
You sign a contract with a legal entity, usually the departmental council. This contract defines the conditions of reception of the children, your working hours, your remuneration, and the conditions of termination of the contract.
These rules are set by texts specific to your profession, sometimes supplemented by decisions taken locally by your public employer.
Termination of contract
Your contract may be interrupted by you or your employer, under certain conditions. In most cases, a one month's notice must be respected.
However, there may be special cases (such as a serious misconduct or an urgent situation) that allow for a more rapid breakup.
You also have the opportunity to challenge a breach that you consider unjustified.
Collective Agreement
Your job does not depend onno national collective agreement.
In principle, parents retain their rights and duties towards their child(ren). We're talking of parental authority.
As a result, as a family assistant, you must ask them for their permissions regarding the child's life (for example, seeing a doctor, having an operation, going out at night, going out on a school trip).
When the child is present full time, you must obtain permission from his parents to take him on holiday.
If you no longer meet the conditions of accreditation, the department may modify the content of the accreditation or withdraw it from you.
In case of emergency, your approval may be suspended. During the period of suspension, no child may be entrusted to you.
Any decision to withdraw, suspend or amend your license shall be explained to you and forwarded to you without delay.
You must apply for the renewal of the license At least 3 months before it expires.
In the year preceding the end of the accreditation, the department's services send you a letter with the application form.
The renewal of the approval shall be carried out in the same way as the initial application.
On site
You must provide the following:
- Medical certificate ensuring that your state of health allows you to welcome children
- Application form
Application for the approval of a family assistant
The application file can be submitted by hand to the services of your department.
IMP and Families Planning Sub-Directorate
By post
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75570 PARIS CEDEX 12
On site
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75012 PARIS
If your file is incomplete, the receiving department will ask you for the missing parts within 15 days.
Please note
One excerpt from bulletin n°2 of the criminal record adults living in your home are necessary for your file to be complete, except for those admitted as part of a social assistance measure. However, you can't ask for it yourself. It is the department's services that will request it directly from the national criminal record.
By post
You must send the following documents by registered letter with AR: titleContent with the services of your department:
- Medical certificate ensuring that your state of health allows you to welcome children
- Application form
Application for the approval of a family assistant
IMP and Families Planning Sub-Directorate
By post
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75570 PARIS CEDEX 12
On site
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75012 PARIS
If your file is incomplete, the receiving department will ask you for the missing documents within 15 days.
Please note
One excerpt from bulletin n°2 of the criminal record adults living in your home is necessary for your file to be complete, except for those admitted as part of a social assistance measure. However, you can't ask for it yourself. It is the department's services that will request it directly from the national criminal record.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For any additional information and to apply for approval
Services of the departmentFor any additional information
Maternal and Child Protection Center (PMI)For further information (if you live in Paris)
IMP and Families Planning Sub-Directorate
By post
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75570 PARIS CEDEX 12
On site
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75012 PARIS
Definition of the family assistant (Article L421-2), conditions of issue (Article L421-3), content of the approval (Article L421-5), decision on approval and withdrawal (Article L421-6)
Information sessions on the activity of family assistant (Article D421-2)
Conditions for obtaining (Article R421-3), examination of the application (Articles D421-4 to D421-11), duration (Article D421-13), attestation (Article D421-15) of approval, derogations for the number of children taken in (Articles D421-16 to D421-17)
Renewal, suspension and withdrawal of authorization
Obligation to inform the department's services in the event of a change in the family situation (article R421-38), a serious accident (article R421-40), a move (article R421-41)
Basis of remuneration
Service-Public.fr
Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Dila) - Prime Minister