 In 1888 her parents settled in Barentin, Seine-Inférieure, where they ran a small business.Around 1900 her mother, now widowed, moved to Pissy-Pôville, Seine-Inférieure, and took charge of four girls from the public assistance.This inspired Madeleine to write a series of articles on ""Bureautins"" in Charles Guieysse's "Pages libres" journal in which she denounced the misery of foster children and the abuse tolerated by the administration.