Home Sweet Home

A Plan to Reduce Children on the

Street in Romania & India
By Donald Chase, Samantha Hermstad, Dominique Mayden,
Madison Meade & Samantha Salazar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=134&v=pMLjVaJRUC8
Romania
Ceausescu banned contraception and made abortions illegal,
resulting in many unwanted children put in orphanages or thrown in
the streets
Deprived of their most basic rights
At risk of becoming victims of trafficking
Exposed to sexual & physical abuse (many physically abused by
police)
Working on the streets, they face many health problems such as skin
diseases and chronic malnutrition
Life on the Street in Romania

Rat children
Children in Bucharest addicted to inhalants
After being on the street for a long time, rehabilitation is harder
Can often get more food/money from begging than they can at
home
Fight amongst themselves, but sometimes work together
Difficult to access adequate water and sanitation - basic human
rights
Education and healthcare are virtually nonexistent
India
18 million children living on the streets of India.
46% of homeless children between the ages of 8 and 14 years
old.
Areas with the most street children are New Delhi, Kolkata,
and Mumbai.
More common for boys averaging 14yrs.
37% of all street children in India are girls.
5% of these girls are orphans with no familial attachment and
fend for themselves.
Life on the Street in India

Economic Gap/urban rural migration

Leave the home due to poverty, violence, or abandoned
Usually live in groups of 10-14 children
Majority are involved in crime, prostitution, gang related violence,
and drug trafficking
Over 15,000 street children in Kolkata have an STD
Routinely detained illegally, beaten, tortured and sometimes killed by
police
Street children often seen as criminals
Goals
Change public view of street children
To help children on the street get an education
To help street/working children enroll into regular school
To provide access to clean water and sanitation
To help detox those addicted to substances
Provide protection from abusive adults
Assist with job finding and skills training
Provide for families so children can remain at home
Increase community support
Plan
Prevention: cash transfers to families in poverty so children dont leave
family for streets

Keeping children with their families is the best way to protect street
children

Intervention: create street children centers to provide for childrens

needs as well as give opportunities for their futures

Children are on the street because they want

money/freedom/opportunities
Home Sweet Home Childrens Center

School - accelerated classes so kids have time to work

Hire & train teachers from community
Goal: get kids enrolled in regular school
Shelter - place to eat, sleep, shower, do laundry
Rehab - help kids replace drug use with healthy habits
Job assistance & skills training
Partner with local businesses to help kids get safe jobs
Train with computer skills, money management
Website

Home Sweet Home

 References
Belzberg, E. (Director). (2001). Children Underground. Retrieved from http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/children_underground.

Human Rights Watch. (1996). Police abuse and killings of street children in India. Ganeson, A.

Jacob, W., Smith, T., Hite, S., & Cheng, S. (2004). Helping Ugandas street children. Journal of Children and Poverty, 10(1), 3-22.

Singh, A. & Purohit, B. (2011). Street children as a public health fiasco. Peace Review, 21:1, 102-109.

Streetkids in grip of STDs. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Streetkids-in-grip-of-STDs/articleshow/6771541.cms

U.S. Agency for International Development (Fall 2013). Programs for Vulnerable Populations: Displaced Children and Orphans Fund.

www.usaid.gov

Vulliamy, E. (2009). 20 years on, life is still tough for Romanias street children.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/09/romania-street-children-revisited