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Historical developments

Youth work in Flanders has a long-standing tradition, dating back to the mid-nineteenth century with the emergence of the first Flemish youth movements. Early examples include Roman Catholic youth groups (from 1850), the Flemish Student Movement (1875), and the Socialist Young Guards (1886). These initiatives primarily targeted working-class youth, offering healthy recreation and developmental activities, and were often organised by engaged citizens, parish priests, or grassroots activists. Political engagement also played a significant role: youth self-organisations emerged as part of broader social movements striving for improved living conditions, rights, and opportunities for young people.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, particularly after the First World War, youth movements expanded and diversified. During this period, their focus gradually shifted from addressing social and material inequalities towards leisure-oriented, playful, and outdoor activities. Youth work increasingly became a key socialisation space alongside the family, school, or workplace. This evolution can partly be attributed to the introduction of scouting in Flanders in 1910, which was widely regarded as an innovative pedagogical approach that combined outdoor recreation with personal development, especially for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

In recent decades, youth work has remained a central feature of Flemish society. Young people continue to show a strong drive to organise themselves, while public authorities and society at large increasingly recognise the social value of youth work. Local governments have also taken on a more active role by directly organising and supporting youth work initiatives.

The historical legacy of Flemish youth movements has left a lasting imprint on contemporary youth work, which is still characterised by a strong emphasis on leisure, recreation, and voluntary engagement. From a historical perspective, youth work in Flanders has consistently been conceived as an instrument of emancipation and empowerment rather than primarily as a tool for prevention or social control. As such, it contributes to more democratic forms of participation and offers opportunities for inclusive and participatory governance in the implementation of youth policy.

National definition or understanding of Youth Work

Youth work is defined in article 3 of the new Flemish Youth Decree on youth and children's right policy and the support of youth work (23 November 2023) as follows: 

• ‘Youth work’ in Flanders is defined by the Youth Decree of 23 November 2023 as (cf. Article 3, 15°): socio-cultural activities based on non-commercial objectives, for or by children and young people aged three to thirty, carried out in their leisure time, under educational guidance and aimed at promoting the overall and holistic development of the young people involved, who participate on a voluntary basis. 

Furthermore, a ‘youth worker’ is defined as (cf. Article 3, 16°): any person who takes on responsibilities within youth work and has demonstrable experience, or who makes efforts in terms of education or training related to youth work. In addition, ‘professionalised youth work’ is defined as (cf. Article 3, 8°): youth work initiatives that employ at least one half-time equivalent youth worker. 

This definition applies to both professional and voluntary youth work, as both are organised by non-commercial organisations. In Flanders, youth work is generally structured around two main sectors: universal youth work provision and targeted youth work provision. The universal sector is by far the largest of the two.

• Universal youth work provision refers to activities that do not differentiate between target groups and are open and accessible to all children and young people. This sector includes the traditional youth movements (such as Scouts and Chiro) as well as a wide range of more recent forms of youth work, including playground associations, youth centres and clubs, youth amateur arts organisations, and youth workshops. Youth movements are typically structured as youth organisations offering regular activities for specific age groups and are largely run at local level by young people themselves, usually aged 16 and over. This type of youth work is predominantly volunteer based, with only limited involvement of professional youth workers.
• Targeted youth work, by contrast, focuses on children and young people who are more difficult to reach, such as those with disabilities, a migration background, or those living in socially vulnerable situations, including poverty. These activities are often built around principles of self-organisation and volunteering but are more frequently supported by professional youth workers. Several targeted youth work initiatives take the form of so-called “open initiatives”, which do not require regular attendance or long-term commitment and do not rely on fixed group activities, thereby lowering participation barriers for vulnerable groups.