44

In France, Aide sociale à l’enfance (Child Welfare Service) is the state guardian of children placed under its care by court order. Though the system is humanized by professionals striving to protect and nurture these youths, their lives remain scarred by severe violence, and their relationships with others remain marked by brutality. Institutions, too, are not immune to the spread of this violence. How should we respond to it? What happens to these children when they turn eighteen? In this article, one professional grapples with these questions through the story of a young man’s death—a boy once placed in an emergency reception center.