Street children
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the number of street children in Eastern Europe has increased enormously. Children are found living on the streets for many reasons, including difficult social situations at home, unemployment, alcoholism, violence and abuse.
Once on the street, the child quickly becomes a victim of drugs, prostitution and crime. They lose contact with school and other societal institutions. In Russia today, virtually all street children sniff glue or other substances. All have health problems such as malnutrition, skin diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and TB. Such pervasive threats to mental and physical welfare poses big challenges when rahibilitating these children to a healthy and meaningful life.
What does Childhood do for street children?
In Russia, Childhood supports an organization called Mission Possible that has developed an excellent model to help street children. Their patrols meet with children in the streets, give them food and get to know them. The patrol staffers offer access to day centers where the children can go for activities, social support and shelter homes where the children also can stay when they are ready to leave the streets. At Mission Possible’s farm in Jaroslav, they provide holidays for the children and offer work and drug rehabilitation for the oldest children and some parents. Mission Possible tries to help the children reunite with their families and offer help to the parents whenever possible.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the number of street children in Eastern Europe has increased enormously. Children are found living on the streets for many reasons, including difficult social situations at home, unemployment, alcoholism, violence and abuse.
Once on the street, the child quickly becomes a victim of drugs, prostitution and crime. They lose contact with school and other societal institutions. In Russia today, virtually all street children sniff glue or other substances. All have health problems such as malnutrition, skin diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and TB. Such pervasive threats to mental and physical welfare poses big challenges when rahibilitating these children to a healthy and meaningful life.
What does Childhood do for street children?
In Russia, Childhood supports an organization called Mission Possible that has developed an excellent model to help street children. Their patrols meet with children in the streets, give them food and get to know them. The patrol staffers offer access to day centers where the children can go for activities, social support and shelter homes where the children also can stay when they are ready to leave the streets. At Mission Possible’s farm in Jaroslav, they provide holidays for the children and offer work and drug rehabilitation for the oldest children and some parents. Mission Possible tries to help the children reunite with their families and offer help to the parents whenever possible.
USA
In the US, Safe Space, Inc., based in Mahattan and operating in all the Boro's except Stane Island, is working with New York's most at-risk youth and families to prevent foster care placement, build strong families and promote self-sufficiency. Childhood has provided funding for their outreach van, the co called Safe Spacemobile, a central tool in their outreach work.
The Bridge for Runaway Youth, and YouthLink, Inc. both located in Minneapolis, are also allocating much of their programs to help street children in the Twin Cities. Childhood supports other projects that focus on sexual abuse, found under the menu category Sexually Abused Children.
