WHAT HAPPENED TO STREET KIDS - AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEXICAN EXPERIENCE

This paper documents some possible reasons of failure of programs for street children in Mexico, and provides background information on demo graphic and socioeconomic trends that underlay self-employment as well as a historical perspective of the social context of street children. It also describes the strategies used to survive in the streets, tren ds in drug use/misuse, the felt needs of children and the social respo nses to this problem. It documents how underlying failure there are un realistic goals, a fragmented perception of the problem and consequent ly, a fragmented response to it. It also refers to the great pressure on institutions for results, lack of continuity of the programs and di sregard of the perception and felt needs of working children who shoul d benefit from these programs.