Homeless children and youth

Many street children in Latin America, who either live or work in the streets of developing countries, are impoverished.[1] Although most are still in contact with their families, almost all street children spend a significant portion of their days working on the streets for money.[2] As the population of street children in Latin America has grown, public opinion of street children has decreased, putting them at risk for victimization and abuse by strangers and public officials.[3] Many non-government organizations have begun rehabilitation and outreach programs to treat the growing population of street children

Street children is a term for children experiencing poverty (homelessness) who are living on the streets of a city, town, or village. Homeless youth are often called street kids or street youth; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policymakers use UNICEF’s concept of boys and girls, aged under 18 years, for whom "the street" (including unoccupied dwellings and wasteland) has become home and/or their source of livelihood, and who are inadequately protected or supervised.