Belgium, a fallback answer for French autistic kids | EUROtoday

As highlighted in a report from the National Disability Conference relationship from May 2019, “the lack of places in French structures, more especially for people with autism disorders, rare disabilities and more broadly for disabled people with cognitive and behavioral disorders”, does not allow the proper reception of these children and pushes parents to turn to Belgium. According to a report from the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs in December 2016, Belgium offers better responses “for people who do not find solutions in France adapted to their often serious disability, combining several pathologies and psychological disorders, or even physical after course interruptions”.

READ ALSO Autism: the anger of Gaëtan's mother and father, sufferer, in keeping with them, of mistreatment “We have always lacked offers to support these children. But it's getting worse and worse. Before, there was always hope of seeing establishments built. But today, for lack of alternatives, we see autistic adults remaining in EMIs for children, which is truly scandalous,” explains Sophie Biette, president of Adapei 44 (affiliation of fogeys and pals of individuals with psychological disabilities from Loire-Atlantique) and mom of an autistic daughter. The latter deeply regrets mother and father' recourse to the Belgian system as a consequence of lack of assets in France. “It’s a shame, but at the same time, you can benefit from quality support” in Belgium, exasperates Sophie Biette.

Estimated value of care in Belgium: 500 million euros

For eight years, the mother and father of Jules, who additionally suffers from a neurodegenerative muscular illness decreasing his mobility, did all the things to maintain their son near them. Kévin is a caregiver, their different son Logan additionally affected by the identical genetic illness as Jules. For her half, Virginie is on long-term sick go away, having been preventing most cancers for a number of years. For them, this help in Belgium is akin to an admission of failure of the French solidarity system. “We don’t understand why the public authorities are rejecting our son. He has rights like other children. We are told about inclusion, we are told about care for all, but in reality it is impossible. The State is not providing the necessary funding,” maintains Virginie. “In France, the cause of the disabled does not attract voters. They are not considered. The government has nice words about inclusion but that is not everything. While we are asking for new structures, the government prefers to save money on EMIs,” annoys Kévin.

To date, the monitoring of French autistic kids in Belgium is partly supported by the State. In whole, together with expatriate adults, the care of individuals with disabilities in Belgium prices greater than 500 million euros per yr, in keeping with the May 2019 report from the National Disability Conference. “Let’s stop financing Belgium and open places in France. It’s as stupid as logic,” says Sophie Biette. To forestall individuals with disabilities from leaving for Belgium or to carry them again to France, the federal government introduced in May 2023 the opening in the way forward for 1,000 locations devoted to kids, and specifically for these with extreme disabilities. autistic, with an allotted funds of 100 million euros. These 1,000 “solutions” ought to make it potential, in keeping with the Ministry for Disabled People, to supply “a significant response […] commensurate with the challenges.” In 2020, 90 million euros had been launched to attempt to put an finish to this exodus to Belgium, with the creation of two,500 locations for adults.