Paris Youth and Family Support Project Secures €80 Million From Two European Banks

The announcement places the project against a backdrop of rising demand for support in Île-de-France, citing almost 30,000 child placement orders in 2021, according to URIOPSS Île-de-France.

More than 1,200 children, young people and families each year are expected to receive support at a redeveloped site in western Paris from 2030, following a major funding agreement for the Fondation Apprentis d'Auteuil. The foundation's historic home at 40 rue Jean de La Fontaine will bring together education, child protection, employment support and housing, giving people facing difficult circumstances access to services that address several parts of their lives.

The financing announcement describes two loans of €40 million each from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), supported by the European Union's InvestEU guarantee. The agreement was signed in the presence of Emmanuel Grégoire, Mayor of Paris, and Jérémy Redler, Mayor of the city's 16th arrondissement, where the site is located.

A Place Where Support Connects Across Everyday Needs

Known as Project 40, the redevelopment will help Apprentis d'Auteuil expand its work with vulnerable young people and families through connected pathways covering care, learning, social and professional inclusion, parenting support and social housing.

For someone struggling to stay in education or find stable accommodation, these needs are often closely connected: uncertainty at home can make studying harder, and leaving school without qualifications can narrow the route into secure employment. Bringing services together creates opportunities to provide support across those difficulties.

François Villeroy de Galhau, Chair of the foundation, described the project as a responsibility to people who need help today and to future generations. Its funding brings together public and private partners, European financial institutions and donors around that shared commitment.

Growing Pressure on Child Protection and Family Services

The announcement places the project against a backdrop of rising demand for support in Île-de-France, citing almost 30,000 child placement orders in 2021, according to URIOPSS Île-de-France. The announcement references findings that some judges have refrained from ordering child protection measures because appropriate placements or support were unavailable.

It also describes increases in the number of unaccompanied minors, single-parent families and young people living below the poverty line, with demand for assistance exceeding available provision.

Project 40 will create and modernise care facilities for young people in the child protection system and for unaccompanied minors. A dedicated family space will offer somewhere to be heard, receive support and share experiences, making parenting support part of the site's everyday work.

Education, Employment and Housing Under One Project

The foundation's hospitality management school will be expanded and modernised, alongside programmes to prevent school dropout and help young people return to learning. Short training courses and social and professional integration schemes, including a solidarity café, will provide further routes towards participation and employment.

Housing is another substantial part of the redevelopment. Plans include a residence for young workers, social housing for families and a supported residence for people facing severe hardship, reflecting the importance of stable accommodation when people are trying to build more secure lives.

The project extends an existing relationship with the CEB, which previously financed the renovation and development of the foundation's Saint-Philippe Educational and Ecological Campus in Meudon. CEB Governor Carlo Monticelli described Project 40 as a response to growing educational and social challenges and an investment in stronger social cohesion across Île-de-France.

For the EIB, the agreement marks its first financing for Apprentis d'Auteuil. Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle highlighted the project's combination of education, professional integration, housing, social cohesion and environmental improvements.

Preserving the Site and Preparing It for the Future

The redevelopment will renovate 70% of the existing buildings and create 6,000 square metres of planted areas. Plans also include bio-based materials, rainwater harvesting, a connection to district heating and passive cooling techniques that help keep buildings comfortable.

Preserving the site's historic heritage is part of the design, together with shared spaces and a more welcoming relationship with the surrounding neighbourhood. The intention is to make the site a place that supports its residents and service users and participates more fully in local life.

Apprentis d'Auteuil brings a substantial network of experience to the project. A Catholic foundation recognised as serving the public interest, it supports more than 40,000 young people and 9,000 families through over 450 establishments and programmes. Young people enter its care through their families or child welfare services, and its vocational provision includes 90 training courses across 12 sectors.

Internationally, the foundation works in 36 countries with 70 local partners, reaching nearly 15,000 young people and families each year. Project 40 will expand that mission at its historic Paris address, supported by long-term European financing for social investment and equal opportunities.