Born in Quebec and created by Spectre de Rue in 2000 in Montreal, TAPAJ is the first pre-employment program designed for marginalized individuals. To date, at least five other organizations in Quebec have adopted the concept.
The initiative traces its roots to 1999, when a field study was conducted among homeless youth engaged in squeegeeing – cleaning car windshields at traffic lights. The study’s recommendations emphasized the need to offer alternatives to the criminalization of young people performing these informal street jobs, often viewed as illegal. As a result, an employment bank was established to provide a variety of paid activities, which saw immediate success in its first year. Young participants were drawn to the nature and status of the tasks, such as cleaning the windows of vacant buildings and creating an artistic mural. This marked the birth of TAPAJ !
In 2003, Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services recognized TAPAJ’s impact by awarding it the Persiller Lachapelle Award for Excellence in the category of Support for Vulnerable Individuals and Groups.
In 2007, the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) hosted a professional from CEID-Addictions to exchange best practices. Three years later, inspired by the Quebec experience, a project to transfer the TAPAJ program emerged in Bordeaux. However, in 2010, this innovative idea faced skepticism from most institutional partners, who feared it would lead to further job insecurity. The only supporter was the City of Bordeaux, particularly its Urban Social Development (DSU) department, responsible for managing public nuisances. The department believed in the project and agreed to help adapt and implement TAPAJ locally.
A long and delicate process of adaptation began to align the program’s scope and operations with the French Labor Code. The project encountered many challenges, threatening its success. Nevertheless, in 2011, interest from private stakeholders gave renewed momentum to the initiative, encouraging further efforts to explore its feasibility.
In 2012, with financial support from the Auchan Foundation, CEID-Addictions overcame temporary funding constraints and officially launched the project. The DSU reaffirmed its backing by proposing and funding the program’s first work activity—weeding the city’s streets. The first TAPAJ experiment in Bordeaux began!
The following year, the partnership network expanded as private entities like SNCF, Auchan Mériadeck, ERDF, and the Bordeaux Solidarity Endowment Fund began offering work opportunities. Thanks to this collaboration and a partnership with ARE 33, an organization specializing in work-based integration, the TAPAJ ecosystem was firmly established.
The program was officially launched by Alain Juppé, Mayor of Bordeaux. Meanwhile, ties with Quebec remained strong. A symbolic twinning event was held, attended by Gilles Beauregard, Director of Spectre de Rue, and Tapajeurs from Bordeaux. Additionally, the Orange Foundation contributed its expertise by helping to develop a TAPAJ website and blog, designed with Bordeaux Tapajeurs to foster communication and connection between participants on both sides of the Atlantic.
On December 9, 2013, building on its experience, CEID-Addictions organized a TAPAJ presentation day in Bordeaux with support from MILDECA. Following this event, numerous addiction care organizations expressed interest in developing TAPAJ programs in their own regions.
As an active member of Fédération Addiction, and involved in various national addiction-focused initiatives, CEID-Addictions took on a leading role to meet the growing demand for TAPAJ expansion across France. Recognizing Fédération Addiction‘s expertise in project coordination and its capacity to mobilize stakeholders, MILDECA entrusted the organization with supporting future TAPAJ project leaders nationwide.
In March 2014, with MILDECA’s support and CEID-Addictions’ expertise, Fédération Addiction launched a national project to facilitate the transferability of the TAPAJ program throughout France. This initiative aligned with MILDECA’s 2013-2017 strategic plan, particularly under strategic goal 1.3: “Reduce health risks and social harm,” and sub-goal 1.3.2: “Promote the socio-professional dimension within comprehensive care.”
The two-year support plan (2014-2015) was structured into two main phases:
For more details, see the article on Fédération Addiction’s website.
Between 2014 and 2018, the TAPAJ network grew steadily, developing tools, organizing network meetings, sharing reflections on professional practices, and establishing future strategies. The need for a formal representative entity led to the creation of the TAPAJ FRANCE Association on June 2, 2016.
By 2014, around ten CSAPA or CAARUD organizations had launched TAPAJ programs, and many others soon followed. The results were clear, with numerous Tapajeurs sharing their success stories. TAPAJ’s impact expanded beyond addiction care services, resonating with other sectors facing similar challenges, such as social services, work-based integration, and justice systems.
From 2017, inquiries about TAPAJ began to come from Local Missions, municipalities, departmental councils, and intermediary associations. The TAPAJ FRANCE Association enriched its support methods by leveraging the resources and partnerships surrounding CSAPA/CAARUD organizations that led the programs.
At the end of 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron launched the National Strategy to Combat Poverty, in which he specifically promoted four experimental programs, including TAPAJ. This initiative was formalized through a four-year agreement (2019-2022) with dedicated funding for its implementation. The commitment brought together key historical partners of TAPAJ:
This announcement marked a new chapter in TAPAJ France’s national deployment. The allocated resources significantly strengthened the program’s staff with new expertise in network coordination, multidisciplinary fields (addiction care, work-based integration, fundraising, etc.), and business development. Week by week, the program scaled up to meet the growing demand.
Support for both new program prospects and existing members was structured in collaboration with regional commissioners responsible for implementing the Poverty Strategy at the local level.
By 2020, 12 new TAPAJ programs were approved. By early 2021, TAPAJ France had expanded to 36 programs across 12 regions, solidifying its role as a cornerstone in France’s efforts to combat poverty and promote youth reintegration.
