Fourth seminar for contemporary witnesses in the “ChildLux”-project
On Monday 18 May 2026, the fourth witness seminar took place as part of the ‘ChildLux’ project, which aims to reconstruct the history of day care for children and youth protection in Luxembourg. Organised by the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH) in partnership with the OEJQS, this event brought together experts and professionals who discussed childcare practices for children and young people in Luxembourg since the 1970s.
Testimonies, professional narratives and critical discussions provided a better understanding of the evolution and transformations in the management of facilities dedicated to the care of children and young people, from crèches to maisons relais. They also provided a general overview of the history of out-of-school services offered to children in Luxembourg since the 1970s: their development, the difficulties encountered and challenges overcome, their organisation, as well as their ability to meet society’s current needs and to promote social cohesion in a rapidly changing country.
The panel assembled for the occasion broadened the perspective by facilitating a dialogue between representatives of various childcare providers – private, state-subsidised and public – that make up the landscape of public policies dedicated to children and young people in Luxembourg.
We would like to thank the participants: Dr Christian Haag (Moderator, ARCUS asbl), Maria Castrovinci de Almeida (Private-sector care facilities, FELSEA), Caroline Ruppert (Agence Dageselteren, ARCUS asbl), Serge Olmo (Municipal care facilities, Municipality of Sanem), Roger Faber (Inter-Actions Faubourgs asbl), Manuel Achten (Former Premier Conseiller de Gouvernement at the MENJE, Caritas), Yves Oestreicher (Entente Des Foyers De Jour asbl).
The project includes further seminars and interviews focusing on the two key areas of childcare and the protection of children and young people. Once finalised, the research and analysis will shed light on the contemporary history surrounding these topics.
