The paper looks first at the evolution of the French Foyer system, highlighting its objectives, governance, tensions and current role.  This analysis raises issues about the reasons for the development and evolution of Foyers and their potential which are directly relevant to the success or failure of the initiatives. 

The element of the paper is based on research at a national level and from case studies of a variety of different schemes that have been developed since 1992, when the UK Foyer Federation set a target for the development of 100 new Foyers by the turn of the century.   It sets out the principles upon which Foyers have been based and examines both their evolving role and the problems that have been encountered.