STREET CHILDREN

ACCORDING TO UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY FUND (UNICEF) THE MOST COMMON DEFINITION OF A STREET CHILD IS “ANY GIRL OR BOY WHO HAS NOT REACHED ADULTHOOD, FOR WHOM THE STREET (IN THE BROADEST SENSE OF THE WORD, INCLUDING UNOCCUPIED DWELLINGS, WASTELAND, ETC.) HAS BECOME HER OR HIS HABITUAL ABODE AND/OR SOURCES OF LIVELIHOOD, AND WHO IS INADEQUATELY PROTECTED, SUPERVISED OR DIRECTED BY RESPONSIBLE ADULTS (P 90).”

THE EPIDEMIC OF STREET CHILDREN IS A GLOBAL ISSUE

• Global urbanization is attributed to growing numbers of homeless children

• Many children leave their homes in smaller towns to work in larger cities

• Estimations on how many children are living on the street is between 10 million and 100 million globally

• Street children move frequently and are often reluctant of adults so information on the children is limited

• Poverty, violence, lack of family support, and hunger are some of the main reasons children choose to move to the street

• Street children are typically between the ages of 6 and 17 years old and live without adult support

• Africa, Asia and Latin America have the highest number of street children

• Almost all countries have children who are homeless and living in the streets

GROUPING

UNICEF has defined three types of street children: Street-Living, Street-Working, and Street-Family.

1 •Street-Living

2 •Street-Working

3 •Street-Family

Characteristic of Street Children1. Street children face difficulties in providing themselves

with good sources of food, clean drinking water, health care services, toilets and bath facilities, and adequate shelter.

2. They also suffer from absence of parental protection and security due to the missing connection with their families.

3. In addition, there is a lack of any kind of moral and emotional support (Lugalla and Mbwambo, 1999).

4. The average age at which street children start living on the streets is between 9 and 12 years old.

5. They keep living on the streets until they reach the age of 15 to 16. When they became older they start to look for stable jobs with better wages (Rizzini et al., 1994).

EFFECTS ON CHILDREN FROM LIVING IN THE STREET

Lost their time to study and play

Negative Judgement

vulnerable to negativity

(association)neglected

Bleak future

CAUSES OF STREET CHILDREN

1) Violence in the family2) Encouragement family3) Want free4) Want to have your own money5) The influence of friends

From research results of Hening Budiyawati (in Odi Shalahudin, 2000: 11) states that the factors that cause children to go to the streets based on reason and the narrative they are due to:

GOVERNMENTS REACTIONS TO STREET CHILDREN

Assesment in cooperation with various community agencies.

Government also has provided more than 400 shelters that are useful to accommodate street children in Indonesia.

Ministry of Social Affairs is preparing a budget of Rp 184 billion for the handling of 140,000 street children in 2010. Perform a variety of co-

operation with other social institutions such as Save the Children.

BASIC OF LAW OF STREET CHILDREN

•Law No. 4 of 1979, concerning the welfare of children in Indonesia.1•Basic Law 1945 Article 34 Paragraph 12

•Law Of Republic Of Indonesia Number 23 Yar 2002 About Child Protection3

CONCLUSION

Street children is a term for children experiencing homelessness who live on the streets of a city. Homeless youth are often called street kids and street youth; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policymakers use UNICEF’s concept of boys and girls, aged under eighteen 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.

ADVICE

Suggestions for People

There needs to be awareness of the public to not get used to give some money to street children. Because this condition is what makes street children comfortable to live and make a living on the streets. If people want to contribute or charity can be through shelters, charity or nursing home up bringing.

STREET CHILDREN

Thank you.