100,000 households with children need financial support for sports, arts and culture

The study also shows that children growing up in low-income families participate in sports half as often as their peers from higher-income families. In addition to costs, factors such as time, motivation, distance, a lack of spaces and access to information also play a role in why children do not or cannot engage in sports, arts and cultural activities. Through initiatives such as the ‘Week of New Beginnings’, ABN AMRO and the Youth Sports & Culture Fund are working together to remove these barriers and create equal opportunities for more children to develop their potential.

Growing gap between children

Gerarda Westerhuis, Sector Economist at ABN AMRO, highlights that limited access to support has a direct impact on children’s development: “If parents don’t know how to get help from support services, fewer children from disadvantaged backgrounds will participate in sports, arts and culture. In the short term, this means they will have fewer opportunities to discover and develop their talents. The gap between financially disadvantaged children and children who are better off is threatening to grow even bigger as a result.”

Paul Leseman, Professor of Social Sciences, Education and Pedagogy at Utrecht University, also underlines what this means for children’s personal development: “We need to realise that education and personal development do not stop at the end of the school day. Children who engage less in sports and culture are deprived of the chance to acquire skills such as taking action, collaboration, perseverance, creativity, accountability and developing a positive self-image. These soft skills are at least as important later in life as academic abilities.”

‘Anyone can find themselves financially disadvantaged’

The majority of parents believe their children benefit from sports, arts and culture. This is true both of parents of children from more stable financial situations (88%) and of parents of children in situations with less money (68%). But the latter group are not able to have their children participate in sports as often as the first group.

Sjeeny (70) can see firsthand what financial disadvantage means for a family: “I have experienced disadvantage from a young age. I struggled with a large amount of debt in the past, and now I see my daughter going through the same thing. My granddaughter Sorella is the unintended victim of the situation, and it’s incredibly painful to witness. Anyone can find themselves financially disadvantaged, and a little help can make a big difference.”

Week of New Beginnings

To give more children a taste of sports and culture, especially those who might not otherwise have access to these activities, ABN AMRO and the Youth Sports & Culture Fund are organising the Week of New Beginnings from 16 to 22 September. During this week, nearly 4,000 children across the country will have the opportunity to discover sports, arts and cultural activities.

Petra Bosman, Director of the Youth Sports & Culture Fund, explains: “Every child deserves the chance to participate in sports and culture, even if their family doesn’t have much money or other obstacles exist. During the Week of New Beginnings, children discover how enjoyable and valuable these activities can be, and sometimes even where their passions or talents lie. This is precisely why it’s so important for parents to know about the Youth Fund. Together, we can collaborate structurally to give as many children as possible the opportunity to join in.”

Obstacles to participation

To better understand why many parents and children do not take advantage of the support available, ABN AMRO and the Youth Fund commissioned a study into the obstacles faced by parents in disadvantaged situations. The following indicative findings emerged:

• The reasons given most often by parents for children not participating in sports include the child or parent not having enough time, high costs and the child having a disability or injury.

• The reasons given most often by parents for not visiting arts and cultural venues or engaging in arts and cultural activities are the high costs of arts and cultural venues, physical distance and the high costs of arts and cultural activities.

About the study

ABN AMRO and the Youth Sports & Culture Fund commissioned Ipsos I&O to conduct a study into the obstacles experienced by parents of children aged 6 to 12 relating to having their children participate in sports, arts and culture. The study was conducted in light of the ‘Week of New Beginnings’, an initiative being organised in September by ABN AMRO and the Youth Sports & Culture Fund. The event aims to promote greater participation in sports, arts and culture, particularly for those for whom this is not a given.

The study was carried out in July 2025 among 1,032 respondents. The target group included parents with a child aged 6 to 12 years, while a sub-group consisted of 111 parents in disadvantaged situations. Children in disadvantaged situations are defined as those from families with an income of up to 130% of the statutory social minimum (excluding allowances), those receiving benefits equivalent to social security level, and/or those undergoing a debt restructuring process.

*Calculation based on the most recent figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). In 2023, 137,200 households with children in the Netherlands were recorded as having a relatively low income with little to no financial buffer. This means a disposable household income, excluding benefits for specific expenses, of less than 120% of the social minimum.

About the Youth Sports & Culture Fund, ABN AMRO, and the Week of New Beginnings

ABN AMRO and the Youth Sports & Culture Fund work together to promote an equal start in life for all children. Participating regularly in sports and cultural activities gives a substantial boost to the physical, mental, social and creative development of children and young people. For years, ABN AMRO and its partners have organised activities to introduce children to sports and culture. The Youth Fund assists by paying membership fees, tuition and for the necessary clothing and equipment for children from families with limited financial means. Joint research has shown that 43% of parents who could benefit from financial support do not receive it. The Youth Fund and ABN AMRO aim to reach as many families as possible through initiatives such as the Week of New Beginnings.