Facing demographic decline, Brest is converting underused school spaces into crèches to optimize its buildings. At the Jean-Macé nursery school, a new facility will welcome 34 babies from March 2026. The project aims to strengthen ties between early childhood and education.
In central Brest, Finistère, renovation work is underway at the former Jean-Macé nursery school this December. The three classrooms are being repurposed: a dormitory for the youngest, a large motor skills room, and a kitchen will soon emerge. Managed by the mutual union Alv’Heol, the 'Heolig' crèche will open in March 2026 and accommodate 34 babies.
The nursery school has not closed; it has relocated just meters away to the adjacent elementary school's spacious facilities. Between 2015 and 2025, the school group lost nearly 135 students and now has fewer than 200. This conversion is part of a municipal strategy to address demographic decline and sustain educational infrastructure, ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.
Parents encountered appear generally positive. 'If it can help perpetuate the school,' says one mother after dropping off her child. This method optimizes school building usage while fostering interactions between age groups.