The family situation of street youth in Latin America: A cross-national review

The empirical literature on children and adolescents working and/or living on the streets of Latin American cities was reviewed to identify family factors contributing to the progression from working to homeless youth. Although the majority of youth living on the street are not orphans, they are more likely than working youth to experience family disruption, migration and physical abuse, and are often unable to use their families as sources of support. The implications of these findings for developing social programs to serve youth and their families are discussed.