I am 100% confused on "restavek" and I don't want to speak out of place, can one of y'all clarify on here?
If it hasn't been answered, it is definitely a form of slavery/servitude.
Works roughly like this.
Parents who cannot take care of their children anymore send them to go live with either a distant relative or a wealthier person.
That new family now has a 24/7 servant , and feed and house them when and if they choose to.
It's a defacto foster care system that is unregulated and controlled only by the nature of the family receiving the servant. If they want to care,raise, and educate the servant...they will. If they want to treat him/her like an enslaved person, they will.
The child or her/his original family do not have better options.