Rules of the Brabant Youth Fund for Sports & Culture

Your child is eligible only if you meet all three of the following Requirements :

• Age
  Children and adolescents aged 0 to 18.
• Place of Residence
  Your family lives in the municipality of Son en Breugel.
• Income
  You have a low disposable income. This means that your family lives on public assistance, is enrolled in a debt counseling or debt restructuring program, or has a verifiable minimum income. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will be rejected immediately.

If you meet the above criteria, the fund will reimburse the full cost of music lessons or music education. In addition, Meerkrachten (see below for more information) will arrange for the rental of a musical instrument, if necessary, through the Leerorkest. This is only possible if there are enough instruments available. There are no partial reimbursements. If your income exceeds the established limit, you will not receive any contribution.

Step 1: Contact Meerkracht

• Talk to your child about which music class he or she would like to take.
• Contact a professional Meerkracht representative (an independent intermediary who will submit the application on your behalf).
• You can find the contact information for the Meerkrachten program in the municipality of Son en Breugel on the website of the Brabant Youth, Sports, and Culture Fund at . You can also contact Nicole Weemaes, the municipality’s poverty coordinator, at n.weemaes@sonenbreugel.nl.

Step 2: Assessment and Income Verification

• De Meerkracht will ask you questions about your financial situation. The Youth Fund relies on De Meerkracht’s professional judgment in this matter.
• De Meerkracht may at any time request additional written documentation or proof of your income.

The Brabant Youth Fund for Sports & Culture is responsible for the administrative processing and official review. You will receive an email as soon as your application is approved.

Step 3: Getting Started with the Lessons

• PLEASE NOTE: Do not register your child with the music provider until you have received official approval from the fund.
• It is not possible to switch activities after the application has been approved.
• If a child has already started classes before approval is granted, the fund will not process the application. You are personally responsible for any financial obligations you have already incurred. An exception applies to continuing classes/re-enrollment for the 2026–2027 academic year; please see point 4 for the “ Requirements ” regarding this.
• The Youth Fund pays the tuition directly to the music provider. You will not receive any money yourself.
• If your child misses four music lessons without a valid reason, the lessons will be suspended for the rest of the year. You will not be able to apply for the next academic year.

• As an exception to the rule that you must wait for approval from the Youth Fund, a special provision applies for the transition from the 2025–2026 school year to the 2026–2027 school year. If your music provider asks at the end of the season (before summer break) whether your child will continue with lessons, you may re-enroll your child in advance to secure their spot.
• Have you re-enrolled your child for the 2026–2027 academic year? If so, the application must be submitted through Meerkracht by October 15, 2026. After this date, the exception will no longer apply.
• PLEASE NOTE: This re-enrollment is entirely at your own financial risk. If, after the summer, your application is rejected by Meerkracht or the fund (for example, because your income is too high), you, as a parent, will be legally and financially responsible for paying the full amount owed to the music provider. Neither the fund nor the municipality will cover these costs.

• Annual Application
  An approval is always valid for one academic year (which corresponds to the school year). You must submit a new application each academic year through Meerkracht.
• The whole family
  De Meerkracht can submit an application on behalf of all the children in your family.
• No Retroactive Effect
  Existing or already approved applications cannot be modified retroactively. No retroactive payments will be made.