Street Children: Promising Practices and Approaches

Summary

In many regions of the world, the phenomenon of street children is unabated,
while it is emerging in others where it was unknown so far. Behind child
disconnection lie highly vulnerable families and communities, many struggling to
come to terms with economic liberalization and growing inequality.
Disconnection can also be traced to a lack of communication in the family and the
weakening of social capital. Street children are an alarm signaling the dire need
for social development and poverty reduction policies to improve the situation in
the community at large, and to prevent more young people from becoming
marginalized.

While preventive interventions are essential, those children already
facing the hardships of street life need immediate opportunities for human
development via special protection programs. This report distills the main lessons
learned from a number of programs that have attempted to meet the special needs
of street children worldwide. Its purpose is to help potential donors understand
activities in this area and identify promising practices.