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1. Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion of Young people

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority

4. Revisions/ updates

5. Related Strategy

Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion of Young people

Czechia has no standalone youth-inclusion strategy; youth inclusion is mainstreamed across several strategies.The Youth Strategy 2014–2020 included youth social inclusion as a key objective. As of 2025, no new Youth Strategy has been adopted (see Chapter 1.3)

The Czech Republic has adopted other relevant policy documents in regard to social inclusion and addressing specific risk factors and specific target groups or areas among the youth population:

• Social Inclusion Strategy 2021-2030: this is issue-oriented, particular attention is also given to Children and Youth, Youth from institutionalised care, delinquent youth, the family policy and access to education measures. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs holds authority over the implementation. It does not directly recall the Youth Strategy, nor the earlier State Concept in the area of Children and Youth for the period 2007-2013. Strategy supports children and young people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by promoting equal access to education, strengthening family support systems, improving child protection services, and ensuring decent living conditions
  • Implemented through three-year Action Plans defining measures, responsible authorities and SMART indicators.
  • Monitored by the Commission for Social Inclusion (advisory and coordination body of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs).
  • Regular progress and effectiveness reviews are conducted.
  • Based on cross-sectoral cooperation and social dialogue involving public authorities and stakeholders.
• Strategy for the Educational Policy of the Czech Republic up to 2030+ is a key document for the development of the educational system of the Czech Republic in the decade 2020 – 2030+. One of the two strategic goals is to reduce inequalities in access to quality education and enable the maximum development of the potential of children, pupils and students
  • Implemented through systemic reform measures in curriculum, teacher support and governance of the education system under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
  • The Strategy defines strategic objectives and indicators and foresees evaluation of progress at national level.
  • The document emphasises coherence with other national and European policy frameworks in education and related sectors.
• Strategy of Employment Policy until 2030 is a strategic document defining the direction of employment policy. It deals with the topic of population aging and the potential impacts of the Society 4.0 phenomenon. The documentary also deals with the disadvantage of young people in the labor market. Supports young people indirectly by promoting favourable social and economic conditions for families with children, strengthening family stability, and enhancing the environment in which children and young people grow up and develop. It addresses the labour-market situation of young people (e.g., unemployment of young people under 25 is tracked and discussed, and the document notes youth disadvantages such as lack of work experience).
  • Implemented through short- to medium-term action plans covering 2–3 years, which specify concrete measures, responsible leads, deadlines and (where relevant) budgets.
  • The Ministry monitors implementation via its standard labour-market monitoring, including a semi-annual “Analysis of employment and unemployment”, and evaluates action plans with semi-annual frequency.
  • Action plans are prepared by the Ministry in close cooperation with other affected actors, especially public administration and social partners, and the document stresses the role of social dialogue (tripartite basis) including monitoring of trends and results.
• Social Housing Concept 2015-2025, Youth is one of the specific target groups with special attention to young people up to 26 years of age, and those leaving institutional care, and the strategy also recognises housing issues faced by young LGBT people. Social Housing or help for housing are also considered as facilities for students, such as dormitories or boarding houses for secondary as well as higher education pupils and students. Youth Strategy as such is not mentioned and linked. The Authority over the Strategy is held by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The Conceptaddresses people in housing need, including specific vulnerable groups such as young people leaving institutional care.
  • It proposes the establishment of a systemic social housing framework linked to social services.
  • Implementation is reviewed through reports on the fulfilment of the Concept prepared by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
  • Involves cooperation between relevant ministries in the area of social policy and housing.
• Strategy of Family Policy is a Strategy approved by the Government in September 2017 (actualized in 2019) with a 5-year validity. Every three years a National Report on Family should be introduced, starting in 2017. Each year a report on progress should be created and if necessary the strategy can be updated based on this progress report. The Strategy aims for support and inclusion especially of families with children and with the care of seniors. The target group is a functional family. The National Strategy on the protection of Children's Rights and the National Strategy for development of social services target those families with children at risk. 
  • Implemented through a structured implementation plan with defined measures and measurable indicators coordinated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
    Progress is monitored through annual implementation reports submitted by responsible authorities and compiled at national level.
  • The Strategy strengthens institutional coordination between state administration and regional/local authorities and involves stakeholders through consultative platforms and working meetings.
• Strategy to prevent criminality 2021-2027 is within the scope of competences of the Ministry of the Interior. Although the Strategy is targeted at the whole population, Children and Youth are one of the most prominent sub-groups the Strategy is targeting. From the general Children and Youth population, young people from socially excluded areas and those who became a victim or are at special risk of becoming a victim of any criminal activity are targeted. The Strategy addresses labour market trends and challenges, including those affecting young people.
  • Implementation is to be carried out through short- and medium-term action plans.
  • The document foresees monitoring through evaluation of action plans and labour market analyses.
  • The Strategy is framed within the broader national strategic context of employment policy.
• The Youth Strategy 2025–2030 addresses social inclusion of young people in the Czech Republic as a cross-sectoral priority aimed at preventing exclusion and ensuring participation in economic, social and civic life.It is closely linked to wellbeing, understood as a combination of physical and mental health, social relationships and life satisfaction. Particular attention is paid to young people with fewer opportunities, especially those in vulnerable situations or facing multiple disadvantages.The strategy also emphasises the need to address discrimination and adapt support to changing social conditions. Implementation is based on cooperation across public authorities and non-governmental actors.

Key areas of support include:

• Transition to adulthood: improving access to employment, especially for vulnerable groups.
• Access to services: ensuring availability and accessibility of support in areas such as education, housing, health and employment.
• Wellbeing: strengthening resilience, healthy lifestyles and social relationships.

Scope and contents

The basic starting document at this point is the Youth StrategyThe Youth Strategy  explicitly states the inclusion of young people in the broadest sense of the Concept of social inclusion as one of the basic assumptions of the contemporary Czech policy towards youth. The main part of this document specifies 13 strategic goals of State policy in relation to young people. Strategic goals related to the inclusion of young people are in table 4.3.1 below with the division of responsible Authority on the state level. 

As a specific goal, there is the SG 10: To facilitate inclusion of children and young people with fewer opportunities.

The definition of Young people with fewer opportunities used in the Youth Strategy is following the Youth in Action Programme Guide and states:

Objectives of the Youth Strategy related to social inclusion are threefold:

• To improve access to services in education, employment, health and social care for children and youth with fewer opportunities
• To improve access for children and youth with fewer opportunities to leisure-based and non-formal education
• To encourage the development of skills for children and youth to promote tolerance across cultural and social groups

Measures to improve access focus on better information through appropriate channels. Support is provided to organisations working with disadvantaged youth, regardless of legal status. These measures strengthen self-esteem and awareness of personal value. Social activation services for families with children help reduce barriers to inclusion.

Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in leisure-based and non-formal education should be supported through cultural, social and educational centres as spaces for non-formal learning, alongside targeted projects and the sharing of good practice and methodologies.

Skills promoting tolerance across social and cultural groups are developed through targeted activities. These activities support mutual recognition of cultures and traditions. They help reduce prejudice and stereotypes. They also strengthen identity, culture, traditions and language.

Positive role models, good practice examples and pedagogical approaches that promote tolerance and prevent racism and extremism should be supported, alongside strengthened cooperation between schools and organisations working with young people with fewer opportunities.

Table 4.3.1: List of strategic goals regarding youth inclusion and the responsible state Authority

Source: MEYS. 2025. Youth Strategy 2025-2030.

Legend: MEYS = Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport

Responsible authority

The main responsible state Authority in regard to the Youth Strategy is the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and also the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Culture in regard to social inclusion of youth. Other Ministries are co-responsible for the various sub-themes as visualised in Table 4.3.1.including the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of the Interior. . 

It can be discussed whether in the case of general priorities such as access to information, rights and participation all relevant Authorities should be co-responsible and thus whether the principle of mainstreaming of youth could be better implemented to all sectorial policies and programmes. However, the Youth Strategy itself does not explicitly require this.   

The responsible Authority for other relevant Policy Strategies is mentioned in the short list above.

Revisions / updates

The Youth Strategy 2014-2020 follows closely on the concept of State policy for the area of children and youth for the period 2007-2013, which also included several goals relating to the inclusion of young people, namely: information about youth and for youth; youth employment and employability; the protection of the rights of children and youth; participation of the young generation in social and political life; young people from ethnic minorities, young migrants and refugees; young people and housing; Youth and family policy, the promotion and protection of the family; Youth, social pathologies, social prevention, and social integration.

 Even in this case, it was a document that was built on cross-sectoral cooperation, explicitly referring to strategic and conceptual documents of other ministries, and had defined responsibility for each task by the departments. Some topics are already no longer present in the current Strategy, however, they could be covered by other public policy strategies. All of these areas are covered by the partial documents of other ministries, as shown above and in Chapter 4.2.

The Strategy ended in 2020; as of 2025, a new youth strategy has not yet been adopted, despite the evaluation of Strategy 2020 being completed.

Related Strategies

National strategy on Primary prevention of risk behaviour of children and youth for the period 2019-2027 

The Strategy aims to reduce risky behaviour among children and youth through a coordinated prevention system. It establishes clear roles, unified standards, stable funding, and quality assurance for prevention programmes. It covers bullying, extremism, delinquency, addictions, and other risk behaviours, and is led by the Ministry of Education.

Main goal

• Through an effective prevention system, operating on the basis of a comprehensive action of all related entities, to minimise and reduce risky behaviour among children and youth.

Specific goals

• Define and establish uniform terminology, stabilize approaches, methods and tools of effective primary prevention, unify parameters performance in primary prevention
• Clear coordination mechanisms, roles and responsibilities of individual institutions, including the establishment of rules of communication between them
• Clearly defined transparent legislative coordination mechanisms, roles and responsibilities of individual institutions and their activities.
• Setting up an effective system of education for the primary prevention of risky behaviour for all entities
• Financially secure the area of primary prevention, maintaining a stable subsidy system
• The introduction of a national system for assessing the quality of primary prevention programmes (certifications) for all kinds of risky behaviour, which is designed for all providers of such programmes and which provides a comparable level of these programmes throughout the Czech Republic.

Target groups

• The general population of children and youth

This is a target group that is not identified according to individual risk factors.
 

Forms of risky behaviour within the Strategy:

• Interpersonal aggressive behaviour - bullying, cyberbullying, and other forms of risk communication through multimedia, violence, intolerance, anti-Semitism, extremism, racism and xenophobia, homophobia
• Delinquent behaviour in relation to material goods - vandalism, theft, graffiti and other crimes and misdemeanors
• Truancy and failure to fulfil school obligations
• Addictive behaviour - the use of addictive substances, netolism (internet addiction), gambling
• Risky sports activities, injury prevention
• Risky behaviour in traffic, accident prevention
• The spectrum of eating disorders
• Negative influence of sects
• Risky sexual behaviour

Responsible authority 

• Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
• Implementation is ensured by the cross-sectorial and vertical network of
  • Regional school prevention coordinator, worker of the office of the Regional authority
  • Methodologist of prevention, an employee of the school advisory facility
  • School prevention methodologist, teachers at schools and school facilities
• Evaluation is set up as ongoing complex data collection and analysis from the field.
• Previous Strategies: the Concept of prevention of substance abuse and other risky behaviours among children and youth for the period 1998-2000, 2001-2004, 2005-2008, and 2009-2012, 2013 - 2018.