It is possible to bring young people under 18 to Taizé to participate in the meetings.

For Groups: More Information

Age

• Under 15 years old: They can only participate in the family program, accompanied by their parents.
• 15 to 17 years old: They can participate if they are sufficiently accompanied; all the following information concerns this age group.

Key Roles for Minor Group Supervision

Minors aged 15 to 17 may come to Taizé if accompanied by adults, namely:

• A main responsible adult
• Animator of a Sharing Group (at least one leader for every 10 young people aged 15-17 / no more than one leader for every 5 young people aged 15-17)
• Any additional supervising adults (if different from the group leaders)

For each minor, one of these adults must be designated as the legal guardian for the duration of their stay in Taizé.

• Main Responsible Adult: This adult carries the ultimate responsibility for supervising the group and coordinates all other adults.
• Animator of a Sharing Group: This adult is responsible for accompanying a small sharing group, facilitating its daily activities, and supporting minors with any practical tasks. Ideally, this adult is between 20 and 35 years old (or over 35).
• Supervising adults: This adult helps with the day and night supervision of young people in the group and ensures their participation in the proposed program. For mixed-gender groups, both male and female supervisors are required.
• Legal Guardian: An adult, part of the group, designated by the parents and authorized to make decisions for the minor if needed, especially regarding medical matters that the young person cannot decide on their own.

Notes :

• An adult can fulfill several roles. For example, the main responsible adult can also be a group leader, supervisor, and legal guardian.
• These adults can contribute the same amount towards the costs as the young people.

Programme

Young people aged 15-17 and their accompanying adults participate in a dedicated program.

Each day, they attend a biblical introduction led by a Brother or someone designated by the community. At the end of the first introduction, the young people are divided into sharing groups of about 10 individuals (from different groups), accompanied by a group leader. These groups meet in the morning and afternoon, following the activities presented during the introduction.

Some weeks, one or more practical tasks are also assigned to the young people, who are then accompanied by at least one leader.

Please note: Young people aged 18-35 who are not accompanying adults do not participate in this program (even if they arrived together). A separate program is dedicated to them.

Parental Consent Form

Every minor must provide a written parental authorization form allowing them to participate in the meetings at Taizé. This authorization must specify the designated legal guardian who can make medical decisions if necessary. This person must be reachable by phone.

Please check if your country requires a specific travel authorization for minors leaving the territory.

Accommodation

In accordance with current regulations in France, minors and adults must be accommodated separately. The main responsible adult is responsible for ensuring this. To ensure that young people behave appropriately and respect the peace and quiet at night, supervising adults are accommodated nearby.

(If an animator genuinely needs to be accommodated separately, please indicate this in the "Adults" section with a comment when registering)

Safeguarding (Documents/Information)

The main responsible adult must ensure beforehand that all adults accompanying minors are suitable to work safely with them. Please inform yourselves about your own country's rules for accompanying minors, comply with them, and bring the necessary documentation with you to Taizé. This documentation may be requested if the welcome team deems it necessary. For those coming from France, a "bulletin n°3" criminal record check can be obtained online.

The main responsible adult for the group must ensure that all adult group leaders and supervisors for the 15-17 age group attend their dedicated meeting before the first biblical introduction (the location and time will be communicated upon arrival). During this meeting, important information concerning safeguarding will be provided.

Please also read the pages:

Health matters Safeguarding Groups