Friday 10 April 2026
This summer, the Flemish Community Commission is doing everything it can to ensure every child has a great holiday and a place on a camp. Ans Persoons, Brussels State Secretary and VGC College Member for Youth, Sport and Culture, announces that the offer is being expanded with 4,000 extra places in the high-quality summer programme. Thanks to these efforts, Brussels children will have every opportunity to develop, and parents won't have to stress about securing a place. Registrations will take place at various times in April and May.
“We know that the existing summer provision is under pressure, so it was high time to meet the growing demand. No child should be left behind. This effort of 4,000 extra places proves that the Dutch-language leisure provision is enormously popular, but also that we have not yet been able to reach many people. The expansion of the provision is also desperately needed for disadvantaged parents. The VGC continues to build a family- and child-friendly Brussels,” says VGC college member Ans Persoons.
A wide spread
A total of 4,000 places will be added this summer: 1,353 extra places within the VGC’s own programme and 2,586 extra places in the VGC-subsidised programme, which includes organisations such as Cultureghem, Jomus, Circus zonder Handen and many others. This is a significant expansion, as each place represents one child spending a week at camp. The VGC programme is being strengthened primarily in the community centres, where 601 additional places are being added, and the sports department is creating a quarter more places.
The additional offer from the VGC and the many other organisers is thanks to extra BOA (Out-of-School Care and Activities) funding and fits within the VGC's reinforced offer of care and activities. In this way, the Flemish BOA decree for Out-of-School Care and Activities is being implemented. The VGC is taking the lead in this in Brussels.
The new places are spread across the various municipalities in Brussels, including disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and across different age groups. Almost 50 per cent of the VGC provision within Brussels’ community centres and sports programmes is reserved for pre-schoolers, with an additional focus on pre-schoolers via the Aximax youth centre. Within the subsidised provision, the breakdown is 30% for pre-schoolers and 70% for primary school children.
Vulnerable profiles
extra uitkomst game-changer. The VGC is specifically targeting vulnerable groups such as low-income or single-parent families with this effort, so that they can rely on high-quality and accessible childcare while simultaneously balancing work and family life. There is also a strong emphasis on the affordability of the camps through the mandatory use of a social tariff and an offer via paspartoe.
Naturally, there is also the logical consequence that the extensive range of summer camps will lead to shorter queues and, hopefully, less stress for parents who are otherwise glued to their computer screens trying to secure a spot.
Talent & creativity
The children can indulge themselves in the diversity of summer camp offerings. It’s no longer just about sports camps that are organised anymore. There's a strong focus on relaxation, talent development, fun, creativity, social development, and Dutch language stimulation. The wide variety of activities ensure that children can develop their talents in all sorts of ways and, above all, have a good time.
Parents can their children apply from April 20th for the camps of the Brussels community centres, the sports department and Aximax. The page below provides parents with an overview of registrations within the VGC offering. Don't panic if you haven't managed to secure a spot, as additional subsidised offerings will be added at the beginning of May.