Why this study?

Early childhood—and more specifically, the first 1,000 days (from pregnancy through a child’s second birthday)—is a critical period for lifelong development and health. We now know that the quality of early interactions and the emotional security of infants and young children are as vital as eating or sleeping, serving as a powerful driver of resilience in the face of future challenges.

Yet, becoming and being a parent is a daily challenge—physical, mental, and emotional. It takes place in socio-economic contexts that are often highly unequal and across diverse life trajectories, where some families receive less support from professionals or their social networks. 

Given these observations, it is essential to have structured, nationwide data on the experiences and practices of mothers and fathers. This data helps inform decision-making and support public policy, with the aim of supporting and assisting parents in their roles—when necessary—and creating environments more conducive to their well-being and their children’s development.

Study Population

Becoming a parent is an experience that varies greatly from one person to another, which is why it was important to survey a large number of parents to reflect the diversity of feelings about their new role.

This study was conducted among fathers and mothers living in mainland France who are recipients of benefits from the Cnaf. To participate, parents had to share daily life with a child aged 0 to 2 years; for the purposes of this study, this was defined as spending at least 40% of their time with the child. This threshold was chosen to document parents’ experiences and parenting practices in their day-to-day context.

Study Process

Data collection took place between September and December 2024 and was conducted by the polling firm Ipsos. 

The selected participants were notified by mail and email. They were invited to complete an online questionnaire that took an average of 40 minutes to complete, with the option to respond by phone with an interviewer. 

A total of 10,284 people—5,049 mothers and 5,235 fathers—participated in the study. 

What will the results be used for?

The initial results of the Évane study will be published in the fourth quarter of 2026. They will help to:

• Gain a better understanding of the current experiences of parents of young children, including both the positive aspects and the difficulties and stresses they face.

• Provide contextual data that will be useful to institutions and professionals working with parents of young children.  

• Inform the development of initiatives aimed at parents of young children.

• Help guide public policy toward creating environments that promote the well-being of parents and their children.

Regulatory Framework for the Évane Study

Santé publique France is responsible for the data processing carried out to conduct this study in the public interest.

This study received:

• a favorable opinion on its feasibility from the National Council for Statistical Information (CNIS) on January 12, 2023;
• a favorable opinion from the Ethics and Scientific Committee for Research, Studies, and Evaluations in the Field of Health (CESREES) on May 17, 2023;
• authorization from the National Commission on Information Technology and Civil Liberties (CNIL), Decision 2023-118 dated November 9, 2023;
• the mandatory “public interest and statistical quality” label, issued by the Public Statistics Label Committee on July 10, 2024.