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When is the International Day for Street Children?

April 12th is the International Day for Street Children.

What is the International Day for Street Children?

Life on the streets is tough. You don’t have to be homeless to know that. It’s especially hard on kids though. International Day for Street Children raises awareness about the multitudes of children driven to the streets because of poverty and domestic violence.

Kids need to learn. In the right setting, kids love to learn. Every child deserves access to education, and healthcare too. They don’t get these on the streets. Homeless kids miss out on vaccines and antibiotics, math class and recess. Instead, their play is a scavenger hunt for the day’s meals. They’re exploited, victimized, and abused.

Street children might have no home other than the street. Or, they might have a home but feel unsafe and neglected there. How do we protect their rights? How do we preserve their dignity?

Kids shouldn’t have to work. They shouldn’t have to beg or scrounge for food. International Day for Street Children reminds us to value the world’s youth, to help them reclaim their dignity as they navigate the maze of poverty.

Facts about the International Day for Street Children!

There may be 100 to 150 million street children in the world. Nobody really knows the number, but we know it’s big.

Street children say poverty, physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse are the primary reasons for their homelessness.

To escape the hardship of life on the streets, many homeless children resort to drugs or breathe dangerous chemicals like glue or rubbing alcohol.

The first International Day for Street Children occurred in 2011.

How to celebrate the International Day for Street Children:

Volunteer your time and resources to organizations that aid street children around the world.

Research child homelessness, and look for ways you can contribute your own skills and talents to the cause.

Support local efforts to help homeless children in your own community.

What’s the hashtag for the International Day for Street Children?

Get the word out by using #StreetChildrenDay on social media.