Governance

Main actors

The main actors responsible for health and well-being are both the federal state of Belgium, as well as the communities and the regions. Since the 1980 state reform, Flanders has been competent for person-related matters such as health care and welfare (also called ‘assistance to persons’). With the sixth state reform, a number of additional competences were transferred from the federal government to the communities.  In short, Flanders is now competent for the policy on healthcare provision within and outside healthcare institutions (with the exception of what is explicitly reserved for the federal government), preventive healthcare and the recognition of healthcare professions (for more information, see Chapter 1 – Youth Policy Governance). 

The most relevant policy domains at Flemish level are:

• Youth policy 
• Health and well-being policy 
• Sports policy 
• Educational policy 

Policy domain of Welfare, Public Health and Family

Caroline Gennez (Social Democratic Party) is the Flemish Minister for Welfare and Poverty Reduction, Culture and Equal Opportunities (2024-2029). The Flemish Ministry of Welfare, Public Health, Family and Poverty Reduction ensures the follow-up of the Policy Plan on Welfare, Public Health, Family and Poverty Reduction. It is responsible for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the policy domain and consists of the Department of Care (Departement Zorg), the Flemish Agency of Growing Up (Vlaams Agentschap Opgroeien) and the Flemish Agency for People with a Disability (Vlaams Agentschap voor Personen met een Handicap). 

The Flemish Agency 'Growing Up' specifically aims at ensuring that children and young people can grow up with many opportunities. Their services range from child protection to preventive family support, childcare and the Growth Package. The agency is the result of a merge between the former Agency for Youth Welfare (Jongerenwelzijn), the Agency Child and Family (Kind & Gezin) and certain aspects of the Flemish Agency for Persons with a Disability.

An intersectoral admission portal of the Agency ‘Growing up’ identifies youth with a suspected disability. These young people can apply for additional (residential) care and support services, organized and/or paid for by the Flemish Agency for People with a Disability.

The Department of Care is the result of the merge of the department of Well-being, Public Health and Family and the Agency for Care and Health in June 2023. The Department combines the responsibilities of both policy domains, related to care and (public) health. When it comes to young people, relevant responsibilities relate to the topics of Child Abuse, Quality control of services, Prevention and Local Social Policy.

Policy domain of Culture, Youth, Sport and Media

With a focus on Youth and Sport. 

Minister Annick De Ridder (New Flemish Alliance) is the Flemish Minister for Mobility, Public Works, Ports and Sport (2024-2029). She is responsible for the Policy Plan on Sport. 

The Flemish Agency Sport Flanders (Sport Vlaanderen) supports the Flemish Government with the preparation and evaluation of grassroots sports and elite sports policy in Flanders. Sport Flanders wants to offer everyone in Flanders as many opportunities as possible to participate in physical activity and sports. The agency recognizes and subsidizes sports federations, promotes and supports several initiatives to get children and youngsters into sports, supports the development of sport infrastructure and manages 14 of their own sport centers through Flanders. They are responsible for promoting healthy sports participation and a safe sport environment, developing coach education, and conducting the anti-doping policy through the National Anti-Doping Agency. 

Minister Melissa Depraetere (Social Democratic Party) is the Flemish Minister for Housing, Energy and Climate, Tourism and Youth (2024-2029). She is also the coordinating minister of the Flemish Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan (see 1.3 – National youth strategy). The ‘Division Knowledge and policy’ – embedded in the Department of Culture, Youth and Media – ensures the administrative follow-up of the Flemish policy on youth and children’s rights and is responsible for the coordination of the Flemish Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan (JKP). For more information on the Department of Culture, Youth and Media, see 1.3 – National Youth Strategy.

Policy domain of Education and Training

Minister Zuhal Demir (New Flemish Alliance) is the Flemish Minister for Education, Justice and Work (2024-2029). The Department of Education and Training together with the Minister in charge of Education and Training is responsible for the advice, evaluation and follow-up on education policy in Flanders. Attention is paid to physical activity, health and well-being in the curriculum.

The Centres for Student Guidance (Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding (CLB’s)) are part of the competency of the Department of Education. They help pupils, parents and schools in primary and secondary education with learning difficulties, study choices, psychological and social problems, such as bullying, problems at home and fear of failure, free of charge, independently and in confidence. They have an important role in preventive health care. They are responsible for vaccination and will periodically monitor pupil’s health. 

The educational counselling services (pedagogische begeleidingsdiensten – PBD’s) support educational institutions and Centres for Student Guidance. They aim at strengthening the policies of schools and promoting the professionalisation of teaching staff. 

More information on Centres for Student Guidance and educational counselling services - see 7.6 - Mechanisms of early detection and signposting of young people facing health risks.

Non-public actors

The Flemish Government funds non-profit organisations in this field. Examples of organizations that are mentioned in this chapter and have a substantial focus on and work with children, youth and young people, are:

Flemish Institute for Healthy Living (Gezond leven) – see 7.4 – Healthy lifesyles and healthy nutrition: raising awareness on healthy lifestyles and on factors affecting the health and well-being of young people.

The Youth Advice Centres (Jongerenadviescentrum-JAC)  - see 7.4 – Healthy lifestyles and healthy nutrition: raising awareness on healthy lifestyles and on factors affecting the health and well-being of young people.

Flemish expertise centre Alcohol and other Drugs (Vlaams expertisecentrum Alcohol en andere Drugs - VAD) – see 7.4 – Healthy lifestyles and healthy nutrition: raising awareness on healthy lifestyles and on factors affecting the health and well-being of young people. 

Centre on Suicide Prevention (Centrum ter preventie van zelfdoding - CPZ) – see 7.5 – Mental health

Flemish Expertise Centre for Suicide Prevention (Vlaams Expertisecentrum Suïcidepreventie -VLESP) – see 7.5 – Mental health

Flemish expertise centre of sexual health (SENSOA) - see 7.4 – Healthy lifestyles and healthy nutrition: raising awareness on healthy lifestyles and on factors affecting the health and well-being of young people.

Upside Down houses (Overkop-huizen) – see 7.5 – Mental health

TEJO – see 7.5 – Mental health

Flemish Office of the Children's Rights Commissioner (Kinderrechtencommissariaat) detects (warning) signs from children, young people, their immediate environment and professionals. It gives information and advice, investigates complaints and mediates. And on a policy level it provides advice and recommendations - always with a view to compliance with and the application of children’s rights in Flanders. 

Flemish Youth Council (Vlaamse Jeugdraad) is the official advisory body of the Flemish Government on all matters concerning children and young people. This means that all Flemish Ministers have to ask the Flemish Youth Council for advice whenever they want to make a decision that will have consequences for children and young people. It also means that the Flemish Youth Council may give advice of its own accord, if policy makers forget to ask for advice or when we deem it necessary.

General distribution of responsibilities 

In Flanders, the health and well-being of young people are the joint responsibility of the Flemish Minister of Health, Public Health and Family, the Flemish Minister of Education and Training and the Flemish Minister of Youth and its administration and agencies (for further information on policy decision-making – see 1.4 – Youth policy decision-making). 

Cross-sectoral cooperation

As mentioned in 1.5 ‘Cross-sectorial approach with other ministries’, youth policy is transversal. It is envisaged that each ministry takes its own responsibilities and defines tasks linked to the implementation of specific goals within the Youth Policy and Children’s Rights Policy Plan (JKP), while the Minister for Youth is in charge of overseeing the process and reporting on the plan’s implementation to the government. A main priority in the horizontal Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan of 2020-2024 was ‘Well-being and positive identity development’. The Plan pursued four large societal objectives: equal opportunities, broad development, space and greater involvement in society for all children and young people. Other priorities in the plan were healthy and liveable neighbourhoods, civic engagement through volunteering, leisure for all and media literacy. A new Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan of 2025-2029 has been presented in October 2025. ‘Well-being and positive identity development’ remains a priority highlighted in the plan. Other priorities in the plan are: healthy and liveable neighbourhoods, the transition to adulthood, and social cohesion and solidarity through leisure and civic engagement.

The Department of Care is active in several cross-sectoral cooperations. They are, for example, supporting and coordinating on poverty reduction in Flanders. More than one in ten people in Flanders lives at risk of poverty. Poverty is not just about income, but is a network of social exclusions in different areas of life that are intensely intertwined, such as education, work, leisure, housing and health. Enabling poverty is a violation of human rights. Therefore, poverty reduction should focus on full participation in society so that everyone can fully enjoy all fundamental social rights. Some of the instruments to combat poverty are the Flemish Action Plan against Poverty (Vlaams Actieplan Armoedebestrijding). The action plan collects the actions of the various Flemish ministers on poverty reduction for the legislature. One of the main priorities of the Flemish Action Plan against Poverty 2020-2024 was focused on child poverty. 

The Flemish Agency of Growing Up, The Department of Care, the Flemish Agency for People with a Disability, together with a lot of partners, worked together on a youth and family policy that should streamline care and support for children, young people and families and make the policies more integrated, efficient, targeted and better. The policy plan is called ‘Early and Nearby’ (Vroeg en Nabij). Also see 7.6 – mechanisms of early detection and signposting of young people facing health risks.