This project, unique in France, aims to guide these young people towards autonomy and best prepare them for their exit from the Child Social Welfare (ASE). The village, offering an educational, health, and integration pathway, represents the Department's investment in public action.
The State delegates the reception of MNAs to the departments; these are children and young people entrusted to the ASE. In October 2026, nearly 800 young people were registered in the Yvelines. Given the limited capacity in specialized facilities and the upcoming removal of a legislative exemption, the Department proactively built this village, with a cost per youth comparable to hotel accommodation.
Located in the former André Chénier college, the redeveloped village features 22 modular bungalows of 36m², each with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. The main building includes 6 rooms adapted for people with reduced mobility, staff offices, and communal areas such as a dining room and lounge.
With a capacity of 100 places, the village has been gradually welcoming young people since early August 2026. At the inauguration, 32 young people aged 13 to 17 and a half were housed there, all attending nearby schools or in training. They are supervised day and night by a team of 16 professionals (educators, house managers, support staff).
Each young person benefits from a personalized plan encompassing French language learning, schooling or training, access to rights, health, mobility, digital literacy, social skills, culture, and sports. Support also extends to administrative regularization, employment, and housing.
To facilitate professional integration, the Department collaborates with local employment agencies (missions locales) and the ActivitY agency, offering individualized follow-up, mentoring, appointments with career counselors, French as a Foreign Language (FLE) courses, and career exploration workshops. Cultural and sports teams organize integration through citizenship, access to culture, and sports activities, involving local providers and associations like the cultural center Le Chaplin for photo/video workshops.
Jonathan, a former unaccompanied minor from the Democratic Republic of Congo, now undertaking an apprenticeship with Bouygues Travaux Publics through ActivitY, shared his testimony at the inauguration. His supervisor, Ibrahima, a site manager, along with project managers Antoine AFETTOUCHE and José Louis PARDO, highlighted the strong integration opportunities in the construction sector (BTP).
The project represents a total investment of €6.8 million (including €6.2 million for works) with an estimated annual operating cost of €3,038,199. The Department covers the majority of the funding, with contributions from the State (€730,000) and the European Union (€626,999 over three years from the European Social Fund (ESF+) for the educational team).
The Department of Yvelines plans to develop this initiative further by creating 4 additional villages based on this model, including a second one in Chapet by early 2028, and three more in 2029 in Rosny-sur-Seine and Andrésy. The projected cost per village is €6.8 million, with an expected return on investment of around 6 years.
