Flemish Youth Support Centre

About us

Since 2002, Steunpunt Jeugd has dedicated itself to children, young people and their organisations. Whereas the Flemish Youth Council acts as the advocate of children and young people, Steunpunt Jeugd supports any operator that engages with children, young people and their organisations. Steunpunt Jeugd gathers knowledge and expertise and develops the necessary networks to clarify and boost the position of children and young people and of youth work in the community. For that reason, Steunpunt Jeugd works towards a dynamic and joined-up youth policy, also supporting youth work.
Steunpunt Jeugd is a non-profit organisation, financially supported by the Flemish government. Our General Assembly consists of youth organisations that are subsidised pursuant to the Decree for the Rights of Young People and Children. We operate from Brussels, where 20 enthusiastic employees share the building with BLOSO and the Flemish Youth Council.

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Our four strategic objectives (2009-2011)

1. Steunpunt Jeugd is the centre of knowledge and expertise about young people, youth work and youth policy;
2. Steunpunt Jeugd works towards an integrated youth policy in the context of the Flemish Youth policy plan;
3. Steunpunt Jeugd offers a diverse range of support services to the Flemish youth sector;
4. Steunpunt Jeugd is a qualitative organisation.

The position of children, young people and youth work in society

We endorse and promote Children's Rights and Human Rights as described in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights. We aspire to equal rights, independence and fairer social relationships for young people in our society. The emancipation starts out on the basis of the strength of children and youngsters, with the aim of granting them an equivalent place in society.

Constructing a dynamic and joined-up youth policy

The requisite empowerment of children and young people runs across a cluster of various policy domains and areas of responsibility. We are therefore working towards a joined-up, dynamic youth policy, viewed from the perspective of children and young people. We stimulate the dialogue across the policy boundaries. A dynamic and integrated youth policy creates preconditions and possibilities for children and young people to be true to themselves and to contribute appropriately to shaping society as a whole.

Youth work: an educational and social brief

Youth work is a unique project run for, with and by young people. For that reason, youth work is a prime client of Steunpunt Jeugd. For many children and young people in Flanders, youth work provides a playful preparatory phase while they grow into adults. We aspire to a situation in which all children and young people can participate in the broad and extremely varied range of youth work on offer. From that perspective, we co-operate with youth work to help them network and to support cross-fertilisation with other sectors. In addition, we will help to strengthen the social and educational relevance of youth work within the wider Flemish policy context.

Building the requisite networks, expertise and support services

Steunpunt Jeugd wishes to explore and link up various subjects and domains in youth policy from a sectorial and categorial approach. For that reason, Steunpunt Jeugd operates as a network coach by initiating, facilitating and participating in networks. The singularity and the strength of Steunpunt Jeugd lies in building up expertise and in sharing knowledge and experience, in order to nurture dynamic and integrated youth policies and to provide expert support for youth work.

More information

Bram Vermeiren
International Youth Policy
bram.vermeiren@steunpuntjeugd.be

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