Unaf and Udaf, at the origin of the family institution

• History of Unaf and Udaf

The creation of unions of family associations originated at the end of the 19th century. It was at this time that the first family movements (groups of family associations often grouped together in the form of federations whose aim was to help families provide a sound moral education for their children and to combat the lack of recognition of the family, to establish strong solidarity for the benefit of large families in particular, and to encourage births in order to halt the very worrying fall in the French birth rate) were born.

By developing and bringing together more and more families, these movements succeeded in raising public awareness and gaining recognition, enabling them to make their political demands heard.

Thus, from 1913 onwards, various measures were taken to benefit families under pressure from these family movements:

  • law on assistance to needy families (1913);
  • creation of the first family allowances and the first allowances for civil servants with family responsibilities (1917);
  • creation of a Higher Council for Natality (1920);
  • law on the generalisation of professional family allowances (1932);
  • creation of the French Family and Birth Code (1939).

In 1943, the Provisional Consultative Assembly in Algiers affirmed the principle of institutional representation of the family.

Following the initiative of the National Council of the Resistance and on the decision of General de Gaulle's Provisional Government of the French Republic, Ordinance No. 45-323 of 3 March 1945 was promulgated. This established a single family body and a monopoly on the public representation of all families in France for the benefit of the National Union of Family Associations (Unaf) and the Departmental Unions of Family Associations (Udaf). Unaf and Udaf constitute the family institution.

This legislative framework enables family activists to defend the material and moral interests of families, as such, wherever necessary, and to be sure of being able to dialogue with the public authorities. The status of the family institution is quite unique in that it is an association established by the legislator, who grants it exceptional responsibilities. They are also recognised as being of public utility.

This system is thus semi-public because it is instituted by the public authorities and recognised as an actor and a tool for regulating social life over the long term.

The family institution is the sole and permanent interlocutor of the public authorities, speaking for all families.

It is this special status that allows the unions of family associations to exercise official rights and responsibilities with the public authorities, while having a very great freedom of thought.

Thus, the family is recognised as a full-fledged economic and social player that plays a key role in France's growth, in terms of consumption, demography and sustainable development.

Finally, they are partners in social dialogue in the sense that life is not only made up of relationships within the workplace, but encompasses all times and spaces.

• History of Udaf 82

Udaf de Tarn-et-Garonne is an association (n°00693) constituted under the law of 1 July 1901, for an unlimited period, and recognised as a public utility establishment.

It was declared to the Tarn-et-Garonne prefecture on 30 October 1946 (published in the JO on 23 November 1946). It was approved by Unaf, in accordance with article 7 paragraph 3 of the CASF, on 13 October 1976.