FRENCH HEALTH CAMPS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26857, 9 October 1952, Page 6

FRENCH HEALTH CAMPS

HOLIDAYS AT LOW COST THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN BENEFIT (From a Reuter COrrestiondent.) PARIS. One in ever 10 boys and girls in France have been taken this year to the sea or countryside for a month’s holiday which their parents thought they would never be able to afford. The answer to the holiday problem for hundreds of thousands of French families, hit by the soaring cost of living, has come in the form of “holiday camps” providing fresh air, recreation, and three good meals daily for about 9s a day.

The idea started in a small way before the Second World War, and Was first launched by religious and charitable bodies wishing to provide summer holidays for under-privileged children. It developed during the war, when it was desirable to send children out of danger areas and to districts where they could be better fed. From 1945 to 1948, the number of children taking advantage of the camps trebled. The camps are mainly financed from four different quarters: the parents pay 200 francs a day—only half the amount needed to keep one child at the camp; funds paid by employers under the social insurance scheme provide about 160 francs towards each child’s daily upkeep; a Government grant subscribes another 25 francs a child a day; and the rest is made up by the organisation running the c.amp. Many different kinds of organisations run the camps. The French Railway has camps housing 20,000 Children; so have electricity and gas companies. Big industrial enterprises* such as the Renault motor works* religious organisations, town councils, Schools and scout troops tuh camps and raise funds for them by various means—tombolas* raffles, balls, carnivals—during the year. The Ministry of Education is responsible for inspection of the camps, and for enrolling and training camp directors and Camp monitors. The directors ate mostly teachers* priests, business executives, and students. They have to take a State examination before they Can qualify. Many •of them ate voluntary workers or earn only nominal pocket money’ during their two and a half months in camp.

The Camps run from the end of the school summer term in the middle of July, until the end of September. This allows two parties of children to 'spend a month away from home. The authorities say that the ideal would be to have one Monitor for every dozen children, and that each camp should not be more than 50 strong. However, some of tht larger ones hold 150 children at a time.