Millions of children all around the world live on the street and in poverty. Most of all these children are deprived of health care and education. "Street Children" is a term that was used by Henry Mayhew in 1851. Before these children were simply referred to as homeless of abandoned. In this paper the background, opinion and solutions to the problem will be assessed.
             The effects of several economic, social, and political factors have been known to bring about street children. An important social factor is the breaking down of families. "Street children are less likely to come from a home headed by their father and less likely to have access to running water or toilet facilities..."(Street Children in Latin America). Their parents are usually unemployed and illiterate. The economic problem stems from the fact that half of the population survives on 14% of the national income. Most street children are considered victims of "economic violence". With all these factors working against the children in Latin American countries there is an estimated 30-170 million street children. These children range in ages 8-17 years old. With all these factors and the rising problem of street children is becoming recognized.
             In fact the major problem concerning street children is their visibility on the streets and the violation of their human rights. The pure fact that the number of these kids is growing its becoming a problem. So many children begging, peddling, stealing, sniffing, and loitering is the problem growing by the second. Not only is the problem growing but also human rights are being violated. "Street children throughout the world are subjected to physical abuse by police or have been murdered outright, as governments treat them as a blight to be eradicated-rather than as children to be nurtured and protected. They are frequently detained arbitrarily by police simply because they are homeless, or
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