Starting Monday, March 16, all nurseries, schools, colleges, high schools, and universities across France will close due to the COVID-19 epidemic. This announcement came directly from President Emmanuel Macron, impacting 12 million children nationwide. While children may welcome the unexpected break, parents are understandably concerned about logistics. How do you organize childcare? Should you pay your nanny? What compensation is available for staying home? How will children's education continue? As family and education experts drawing from official government guidelines, we provide clear, reliable answers below.
Closures for schools, colleges, and nurseries begin Monday morning, March 16. Health Minister Olivier Véran has indicated at least 15 days, though experts anticipate several months.
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe stated schools would likely remain closed until Easter holidays. "We will maintain these measures for as long as necessary, because we know that if children do not develop any serious form of the disease, they also spread it very quickly," he noted. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer echoed this, pointing to spring break. Easter starts April 4 for Zone C (Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles).
With children at home, one parent must provide care—especially since grandparents should avoid contact. The government guarantees 100% compensation for the parent staying home via a simplified work stoppage. Key conditions:
No medical certificate or waiting period is required. Coverage starts day one, up to 20 days initially. Employers declare via the Ameli site (home support form). Full details at service-public.fr.
For joint custody arrangements, Health Insurance allows sharing the work stoppage. Parents can split periods by submitting separate requests, ensuring fair distribution of responsibilities.
The non-caretaker parent should telework where possible. President Macron urged companies to prioritize remote work to reduce virus transmission via transport and gatherings. Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud noted this applies to about one in three jobs. For 70% of firms, a simple employee-manager agreement (oral, written, or email) suffices—flexibility is essential.
Single parents without childcare or telework options qualify for a 14-day work stoppage. Secretary of State Marlène Schiappa confirmed: "Any parent of a child under 16 without childcare or telework automatically receives a work stoppage via employer declaration." No doctor visit needed.
President Macron announced region-specific "guard services" prioritized for essential workers like healthcare staff. Access will be limited; some nurseries may support caregivers' children.
Learning continues via CNED's "Ma classe à la maison" platform, offering 4-week courses from kindergarten to high school. Teachers will distribute lessons and exercises via email or Pronote.
Key uncertainties persist:
In Paris, parents are exempt from nursery costs from March 16. Childminders' salaries must continue, as they care for few children (max 3) and remain operational per local PMI guidelines.
Group sports lessons are suspending progressively—confirm with your club.
9. Support for businesses, artisans, merchants:
Government aid includes tax deferrals and partial unemployment. Details at the Ministry of Economy site or relevant PDF. Self-employed parents declare stoppages directly on ameli.fr's employer page.
