Who we are

We are a global alliance who act as the voice of street children to promote good practice, challenge and change the systems that cause harm.

We create powerful links between organisations, activists and policy makers around the world who are addressing the needs and rights of street children, providing advocacy, capacity building, shared learning and research.

Street children are children who depend on the streets for their survival – whether they live on the streets, work on the streets, have support networks on the streets, or a combination of the three.

We want to change the world for street children by:

1. Ensuring they have the same access to services, resources, care and opportunities that other children have
2. Amplifying street children’s voices so they can make their views known
3. Putting an end to the discrimination street-connected children around the world face on a daily basis

How we have grown

We were launched at 10 Downing Street on November 18th, 1993. Since they we have grown from a small fledgling organisation to a force to be reckoned with.

Today we are a powerful, innovative and expert network of 150+ community organisations, national and international non-governmental organisations, researchers, advocates and on-the-ground practitioners working across 135 countries.

Our previous CEO Caroline Ford speaks to Comic Relief about how we can make sure that all children are being counted and included in our visions of the future.

We set our 5 year strategy towards a world where street children are guaranteed the same rights as every other child in 2019.

1. Collaborate

Strengthen and grow our network and build partnerships with others committed to promoting and protecting the rights of children in street situations

We will do this by:

• Nurturing an effective network of members, and responding to their needs
• Building and strengthening partnerships with actors outside our network

2. Promote

Improve street children’s lives by distilling and sharing our network’s unique on-the-ground expertise

We will do this by:

• Collaborating to ensure government systems and services are more inclusive of street-connected children
• Promoting learning and successes in improving frontline services/specialised solutions including street work

3. Shape

Reframe narratives around street connected children

We will do this by:

• Strengthening and disseminating knowledge, evidence, and disaggregated data on street children
• Ensuring children’s own voices, experiences and concerns inform and shape policy and process

4. Advocate

Support tangible progress in ensuring States meet their obligations to street-connected children

We will do this by:

• Supporting national and sub-national advocacy on legal and policy change in line with the UNCRC/GC21 with child and locally led action and accountability
• Promoting greater prioritisation of street-connected children on the regional, national, and international agendas to ensure no child is left behind

Learn about inspirational former street children who have become our ambassadors.