[History of a pandemic in child protection]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Sciences
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to public services globally.
• Child welfare organizations faced significant disruptions during the initial containment phases.
• Adapting services was crucial to ensure the continuity of care for vulnerable children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the organizational changes within the child welfare sector in Isère during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To provide insights into the management of public health crises in social services.
• To describe the adaptive strategies employed in an uncertain environment.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative description of events and decisions.
• Retrospective analysis of the organizational response.
• Expert account from a medical professional involved in the sector.

Main Results:

• A unique organizational structure was rapidly implemented to combat the epidemic's spread.
• The sector navigated an unprecedented and uncertain context, requiring continuous adaptation.
• The response involved sequential stages of planning and execution.

Conclusions:

• The child welfare sector demonstrated resilience and adaptability in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
• Effective crisis management required swift organizational restructuring and flexible strategies.
• The experience in Isère offers valuable lessons for future public health emergencies impacting social services.