Financial worries and caregiving responsibilities at home are the greatest obstacles to children's development
A stressful home situation has a significant negative impact on the learning performance of Dutch children. Thirty percent of children experience stress at home, mainly due to financial worries. In an average class of 23, that amounts to seven children. These are the conclusions of the annual report ‘Inequality of Opportunity in the Netherlands’ by SEO Economic Research, commissioned by the ABN AMRO Foundation and the Jeugdeducatiefonds and conducted among more than 500 primary school teachers of fifth-grade classes.
At schools where children experience more stress on average, their scores on the final test in eighth grade are clearly lower. Teachers also identify a stressful home situation as the greatest inhibiting factor in the development of younger children.
Financial worries are the most important source of stress
This year, the factors contributing to a stressful home situation were investigated for the first time. The results show that in more than a quarter of cases, the issue is financial stress. In an average class of 23 children, this means that, on average, two children are growing up in a family experiencing financial worries. This can include problems such as being unable to pay school contributions (in 30% of cases) or being unable to provide basic necessities such as breakfast (25%).
Caregiving responsibilities and social support
A stressful home situation can also arise from factors related to care. For example, because responsibility for caring for the family falls on one parent, or because the child has to take on caregiving responsibilities, such as informal care. There is also often an insufficient social network to rely on, or the care provided to the family by, for example, support services is inadequate. This applies to half of the families dealing with a stressful home situation (15% of the total).
The research shows that if much of the stress experienced by children can be removed, for example by paying school contributions and providing for basic necessities such as breakfast or their own bed, more room is created for personal development. This improves performance at school and raises the level of educational attainment and, consequently, the child's later income. In the final scores at primary school, the parents' income is ultimately the most influential factor (80%).
The right foundation
The research stems from a partnership between the ABN AMRO Foundation and the Jeugdeducatiefonds, which pursue a shared objective. For more than twenty years, the ABN AMRO Foundation has worked to support children growing up in less advantaged environments. The Jeugdeducatiefonds helps increase the development opportunities of children growing up in disadvantaged circumstances or poverty.
“There are approximately 1.4 million children attending primary school in the Netherlands. It is painful to see how many of these children face a stressful home situation. Especially when you consider that these are averages. Some classes consist almost entirely of children who face financial worries, violence or a lack of appropriate care at home,” says Hans Spekman, director of the Jeugdeducatiefonds. “We must therefore invest unequally in order to create equal opportunities for all children. For example, by providing school meals and appropriate care for those who need it. Only in this way can children growing up in poverty have the same opportunities to develop to their full potential as children with wealthier parents.”
Robert Swaak, CEO of ABN AMRO, is also concerned about the findings of the research: “Children deserve equal opportunities, regardless of their background. This research once again demonstrates how important it is for them to have the right foundation, such as a good breakfast, their own bed and a bicycle. Far too often, this is not the case, and we still have a long way to go. Instead of worrying, these children should be able to dream of a bright future and discover where their passion lies.”