Minister speaks with young people at symposium on youth support

Under the name Euromet, young people and social workers meet to share experiences at an international conference. Leisure is the theme of the conference.

Flemish Minister of Youth Benjamin Dalle was a guest today. He emphasized the importance of leisure activities for young people growing up in youth care. “Leisure time is a fundamental right for every child, not just for the happy few,” says Dalle. “Sport, culture or just hanging out with friends, that is extremely important to develop yourself as a young person. We often emphasize the importance of education for young people, but free time is also just as important.”

However, free time is not equally accessible to all young people in youth care. “A survey of youth aid organizations showed that only 30 percent of the facilities indicate that they can continue their leisure activities,” says Dalle. “We often see that youth care and youth work are too far apart. That needs to be improved: we have to put young people even more in the foreground and focus on what is possible, rather than seeing barriers.”