THE FAMILY SITUATION OF STREET YOUTH IN LATIN-AMERICA - A CROSS-NATIONAL REVIEW

The empirical literature on children and adolescents working and/or li ving on the streets of Latin American cities was reviewed to identify family factors contributing to the progression from working to homeles s youth. Although the majority of youth living on the street are not o rphans, they are more likely than working youth to experience family d isruption, migration and physical abuse, and are often unable to use t heir families as sources of support. The implications of these finding s for developing social programs to serve youth and their families are discussed.