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Are more children taking part?

Original title: Kunnen meer kinderen meedoen?

Local authorities in the Netherlands have received extra money in recent years as part of the government policy initiative 'Children take part!' ('Kinderen doen mee!'). The government's aim with this policy was to halve the number of children who are prevented by poverty from participating in sports and cultural activities.

The study Could more children take part? (Kunnen meer kinderen meedoen?) compares the situation before and after the launch of this policy. It describes how many children did not participate in 2008 and 2010, and whether financial considerations played a role in that non-participation. It also investigates to what extent people made use of the facilities and funding provided by local authorities to boost participation. The study ends by recommending that the policy be applied in a more targeted way in the future.

Annette Roest is a researcher in the Labour, Income and Social Security research group at the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP. Her main research interests are in youth research and policy. She obtained her doctorate in 2009 with a thesis on the transfer of values between parents and children.