The notion of “families unlike any other” encompasses very different realities depending on whether we are talking about parental configuration, disability within the household, or atypical lifestyles. Each configuration generates specific needs in terms of support, social rights, and access to resources. In recent months, we have observed an acceleration of warning signals on several fronts that directly affect these families.
Precarity of single-parent families: Insee data from 2025 confirms a decline
Material and social deprivation affects about 30% of people living in a single-parent family, according to Insee in its publication “Material and Social Deprivations from 2020 to 2025” dated September 29, 2026. After an improvement noted in 2024, the situation has deteriorated again compared to 2023.
This figure does not capture the whole reality. A study utilizing data from Restos du Coeur over the period 2018-2025 highlights a significant increase in residential precariousness, with an overrepresentation of children aged 0 to 9 years. The majority of these children belong to single-parent families led by women.
These families often combine unstable housing, difficult access to childcare, and administrative isolation. The daily life of a mother alone with a young child is nothing like that described in standard parenting guides, and support systems remain designed for two-parent households. Following the news from Maman pas comme les Autres … or Almost helps to stay informed about these documented realities over time.
Screens and children: Santé publique France repositions the debate outside the family sphere
Santé publique France published in October 2026 a report titled “Growing Up with Screens: Act” which marks a paradigm shift. Prevention can no longer rely solely on parents. The agency points out social inequalities in exposure, “technoférence” in the parent-child relationship, and documented effects on sleep, sedentary behavior, and vision.
The concept of technoférence deserves attention. It refers to the interference of digital devices in interactions between a parent and their child, even when the screen is not intended for the child. A parent checking their phone during a meal alters the quality of the exchange without being aware of it.
Why atypical families are more exposed
Families facing disability, single parenthood, or irregular work hours use screens more as a respite tool. A single parent of an autistic child does not have the same flexibility as a couple with nearby family support. Pointing out individual responsibility in this context ignores structural constraints.
We recommend distinguishing between screen time that is imposed and screen time that is chosen. A child watching an educational video while their parent manages an administrative crisis is not in the same situation as a child left to an algorithmic flow without supervision. Prevention policies would benefit from integrating this nuance.
Daily life of families with disabilities: persistent blind spots
Documentary programs like “Families Like Any Other” on AMI-télé or “Extraordinary Families” on TFX have helped to make certain realities visible. School orientation, home adaptations, the impact of disability on siblings: these topics are gradually moving out of the circle of insiders.
However, the following aspects remain under-addressed:
- The decision fatigue of caregiver parents, who must constantly arbitrate between care, schooling, administrative procedures, and professional life, without a single point of contact
- The real cost of disability in daily life, rarely fully covered by existing aids, including specific equipment, adapted transport, and non-reimbursed consultations
- Access to leisure and vacations, which requires logistical anticipation that most “traditional” families do not have to consider
The status of family caregiver remains insufficiently recognized in French public policies. Specific leave exists but poorly covers chronic situations. A parent who reduces their working hours to support a child with a disability suffers a loss of income that is rarely compensated.
Generative artificial intelligence and parenting: a still unclear territory
For atypical families, generative AI raises specific questions. A parent of a dyslexic child using ChatGPT to rephrase school instructions does not use it in the same way as a parent who delegates the writing of a report. The boundary between accessibility tool and cognitive crutch remains to be defined.
Level of trust of families in the face of AI
The most precarious families, often less equipped with digital skills, are also those who would benefit the most from a controlled use of these tools. The risk of a widening digital divide between families is real. Single-parent households and families affected by disability already accumulate vulnerabilities that limit their ability to sift reliable information from approximate algorithmic production.
The current situation of families unlike any other in 2025-2026 converges towards the same observation: support systems remain calibrated for a family model that no longer corresponds to the reality of an increasing part of the population. The precarity of single-parent families is worsening, screen management exceeds individual frameworks, and daily disability generates invisible costs.
AI is establishing itself without an appropriate framework. Responses will come less from generic advice than from a restructuring of support mechanisms that match the diversity of French households.
