Nursery World - Cash handout for youths criticised

Children's organisations have given a warm welcome to the 115m Government fund to reform services for young people, but its proposal for a youth opportunity card had a mixed reaction. Youth Matters: Next Steps is the Government's response to the consultation Youth Matters, published last July, which received 19,000 responses from young people and more than 1,000 from parents and professionals.

Youth Matters: Next Steps is the Government's response to the consultation Youth Matters, published last July, which received 19,000 responses from young people and more than 1,000 from parents and professionals.

A youth opportunity card, to be piloted in ten areas over the next two years, will give 13- to 19-year-olds 12 to 25 a month to spend on sport and leisure.

Their eligibility criteria has not been finalised, but respondents to the consultation favoured ruling out those who behave badly.

Forty-six percent of adults who replied to the consultation said they were 'unconvinced' about the card. The broadcaster GMTV reported that 90 per cent of the 3,000 text messages it received in a survey criticised the idea.

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