[The "Marrainage" Project: a nonprofessional intervention with families at risk for child neglect].

The "Marrainage" project involves the implementation and evaluation of an intervention to prevent negligence in at-risk families with at least one child between the age of 0 and 5. The goal of the intervention is to introduce into those families, working nonprofessionals who can help them create their own natural support network and improve the quality of the family environment. The sponsors offer the following support services: emotional support, counselling-information, physical assistance, social skills development, positive feedback, and material needs. The sponsors work most often with the mother. The services provided to children consist mainly of outings, games and personal care. Such interventions have positive effects on the family environment, particularly on the parents' abilities and the psychological well-being of the mother. On the other hand, there is no conclusive evidence of a positive impact on the use of the families' natural networks.