Médaille de la Famille française

The Médaille de la Famille française (English: Medal of the French Family) is a decoration awarded by the government of France to honour those who have successfully raised several children with dignity.

The decoration was created by a decree of May 26, 1920, under the name Médaille d'honneur de la famille française, with the aim of honouring mothers of large families.

The reform opened the award of the decoration to fathers and others who had raised several children in an appropriate way: for example, the Catholic priest Père Mayotte, curate of the parish of Randan, Puy-de-Dôme was granted the award in recognition of his raising the six children of his housekeeper, a widow who died suddenly.

The original medal was an eight pointed radiant star, with a central medallion depicting a mother holding a small child, surrounded by the inscription Famille Française, ("French Family").

[1] Since 1983 a circular medal has been awarded, bearing the words Famille Française above a modernistic image of a couple and their children.

Medal design until 1983 (silver version)