Children in street situation

What are 'children in street situations'

Children in street situations live in a complex reality where the street becomes their home, workplace, and social environment. These children are often forced into street life due to poverty, family violence, or displacement caused by conflict and natural disasters.

Official definition of 'children in street situation.'

Indian law does not contain a single, standalone statutory definition of the term " children in street situations." However, the concept is addressed through child protection legislation, executive policy, and judicial interpretation.

THE JUVENILE JUSTICE (CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN) ACT, 2015

While the Act does not explicitly use the phrase " children in street situations," it defines a " child in need of care and protection" under Section 2(14).

Section 2(14) gives "child in need of care and protection" means a child-

i) who is found without any home or settled place of abode and without any ostensible means of subsistence; or

ii) who is found working in contravention of [the provision of this Act or] labour laws for the time being in force or is found begging, or living on the street; or

(vi) who does not have parents and no one is willing to take care of, or whose parents have abandoned or surrendered him; or (vii) who is missing or run away child, or whose parents cannot be found after making reasonable inquiry in such manner as may be prescribed; or

(vii) who has been or is being or is likely to be abused, tortured or exploited for the purpose of sexual abuse or illegal acts; or

(viii) who is found vulnerable and is likely to be inducted into drug abuse or trafficking; or

(ix) who is being or is likely to be abused for unconscionable gains; or

(x) who is victim of or affected by any armed conflict, civil unrest or natural calamity; or

Common Usage and Significance

Although the Juvenile Justice Act does not use the exact phrase "children in street situations," this term is commonly used in policy and child rights discourse in India and internationally to describe:

• children living on the streets with little or no family support,
• children who work on the streets and may return to a home
• children spending long hours in public spaces for survival and livelihood,
• children woh have run away or been abandoned and have strong connections with street environment.

This Concept is significant within the Indian Child Protection and Justice system because such child are especially vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, trafficking, hazardous labour, and social exclusion. Providing them with appropriate care, rehabilitation, and access to service, such as shelter, education, and health care, is a priority under statutory child protection frameworks and government schemes such as Mission Vatsalya.

International definition of " children in street situation"

The authoritative definition is provided by United Nations Committee on the rights of the Child in General Comment No. 21(2017) on Children in Street Situations.

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child—General Comment No. 21, 2017

The term "children in street situations" is used to comprise:

(a) children who depend on the streets to live and/or work, whether alone, with peers, or with family,

(b) a wider population of children who have formed strong connections with public spaces and for whom the street plays a vital role in their everyday lives and identities.

This wider population includes children who periodically, but not always, live and/or work on the streets and children who do not live or work on the streets but who regularly accompany their peers, siblings or family in the streets. Concerning children in street situations, “being in public spaces” is understood to include spending a significant amount of time on streets or in street markets, public parks, public community spaces, squares, and bus and train stations. It does not include public buildings such as schools, hospitals or other comparable institutions.

This definition was adopted to replace the term "street children" which was considered stigmatizing. it emphasizes that children are not defined by the street itself; rather, their situation is shaped by social, economic, and structural factors.

The definition is grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a State Party.

Types of Children in Street Situations

Study-Based Classification of Children in Street Situation(CISS)

In an empirical study conducted across selected target cities, a total sample of 96 children in street situation ( CISS) was examined. The children was classified into three primary categories:

• Category 1: Children living alone on the streets: These are children without any parental anchor or family support system living on the streets, pavements or any public places on their own. For them, street is the home. Examples are missing, runaway, abandoned and orphan children. Some of these children may be voluntarily not in contact with family; in other words, these children do not keep contact with parent(s), siblings, relatives or guardians, irrespective of whether they know their whereabouts. They survive on streets by working, begging, selling items/goods, performing on streets or adopting any other means
• Category 2: Children working on the streets: These are children who spend their time on street, loitering in the day time. However, they go home during the night to be with their parents who live in a nearby slum or hutment. These children may be found simply loitering, begging, picking rags or selling goods/items. This set of children lacks parental guidance, as their parents too are struggling for their own survival.  
• Category 3: Children whose families are on the streets: These are children living with their families on the streets. They are from different parts of the country and have migrated to the city to earn their subsistence. They mostly work in the unorganized sector, like temporary labour in construction. These families include seasonal as well as permanent migrants. Children of these families also live on the street with them, mostly loitering, begging, picking rags or doing child labour with their parents, selling goods/items, etc.  

This three categories reflects a commonly adopted typology in Indian research and child protection practice, distinguising between the degree of family connection and the extend of street dependence.

Some example of CNCP who come under the above- mentioned three categories of CiSS are as follows:

1. Abandoned child living on the streets: A child deserted by his biological or adoptive parents or guardians and now living on the streets.
2. Abandoned child with disability living on the streets: A large number of children are abandoned by parents due to physical, neurological or mental disability of the child. Many such children are often found in street situations who are mentally challenged or physically challenged/disabled which exacerbates their vulnerabilities much more than other CiSS. 
3. Orphan child living on the streets: A child without biological or adoptive parents or legal guardian, or whose legal guardian is not willing to take, or capable of taking, care of the child, now living on the streets.
4. Child labour: Children who are working in contravention of labour laws in the country. It is the system of employing or engaging a child to provide labour or service to any person, for any payment or benefit, paid to the child or to any other person exercising control over the said child. There are children also in street situations who are engaged as child labour. 
5. Working children: Children who polish shoes for income; work in eateries, tea stalls, roadside stalls, repair shops, construction sites, markets, etc.; and vendors (selling flowers, newspapers, fruits and other items on the roads/at traffic signals). They depend on this type of work for their daily survival. 
6. Child beggars: Child beggars are those children who are soliciting or receiving alms in a public place or entering into any private premises for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms, under any pretence, or exposing or exhibiting with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease, whether of himself or of any other person or of an animal. 
7. Rag pickers: Children who pick waste on the roadside or in the premises of railway station, bus terminus or any public places.
8. Children living and working on the platforms of railway stations.
9. Children living and working with families on streets/pavements/bus stands/railway stations/ underflyovers, etc.
10. Children living with families in slums/hutments and working on streets; living with families at construction sites.
11. Children of commercial sex workers/children living in red light areas loitering on the streets.
12. Children loitering on the beach/living on the beach (with or without families) in tourist hotspots.
13. Children in sibling care: the CiSS themselves are CNCP; take care of their siblings who live on streets.
14. Children who are substance abusers living on the streets.
15. Children performing on the streets.
16. Children cleaning automobile windscreen, etc.

Classification at the International Level

According to UNICEF (1984), street children constitute a multifaceted phenomenon that can be divided into at least three categories: children on the street, children at risk and children of the street.

• Children on the street: The category of children on the streets is made up of children working on the streets in order to survive. These children generally belong to a family, return home at night (Le Roux, 1996), and are under their parents’ protection. It is household poverty that pushes these children onto the street. For instance, children on the street contribute up to 30% of household income (Rizzini and Lusk, 1995; ILO, 1996). This is the largest category of street children.
• Children at Risk: The category of children at risk includes the urban poor, who form a reservoir of street children.
• Children of the street: The last category, that of children of the street, is a multifaceted one, comprising several subcategories: abandoned, orphaned, and runaway children. Densley and Joss (2000) state that children of the streets regard the street as their home: it is the place where they live, where they work and develop bonds with other children of the streets. They view their family ties in a negative light.

These three categories are closely linked. The category of children on the street feeds into that of children at risk, which itself feeds into that of children of the street.

Evolution of Terminology

Earlier international literature (particularly from the 1980s–1990s) used the distinction of three categories.

However, the United Nations moved away from this terminology to avoid stigma and oversimplification. The current international standard uses the term “children in street situations,” recognizing that children’s experiences are fluid and may shift between categories.

Appearance in Official Databases

Children in street situations in India are recorded, monitored, and tracked through multiple official administrative and judicial data systems. These systems are used by various child protection stakeholders- including the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), child protection bodies, and justice institutions - to collate information, manage cases, and support rehabilitation.

Track Child Portal under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS)

The Ministry of Women and Child Development had been implementing the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) since 2009-10 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The objectives of ICPS are to improve the well-being of children in difficult circumstances and to reduce vulnerabilities that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment, and separation.

AKey component of ICPS is the creation of a national mechanism to track "missing" and "found" children under the framework of the Juvenile Justice( Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 ( now replaced by the 2015 Act). To operationalise this objectives, the Ministry entrusted the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with the development of the TrackChild National Portal.

Purpose and Design of the TrackChild Portal

The TrackChild portal was designed in accordance with:

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000
• The Juvenile Justice Model Rules, 2007
• The operational guidelines of the Integrated Child Protection Scheme

The portal serves not only as a database of missing children, but also as a live case-management system that monitors the progress of “found” children who are receiving services in various Child Care Institutions (CCIs), shelters, and homes under ICPS and the JJ Act.

One of the responsibilities assigned to State Governments under ICPS is the establishment of a child tracking system to:

• Facilitate data entry and matching of missing and found children;
• Enable continuous follow-up on children receiving protection services;
• Ensure proper monitoring of rehabilitation and welfare outcomes.

To support implementation, Child Care Institutions, Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), and other stakeholders have been equipped with computer systems and trained personnel to ensure regular data entry and updating.

Institutional Integration and Data Flow

The TrackChild portal functions as an integrated digital platform connecting stakeholders across all States and Union Territories. It includes:

• Central Project Support Unit (CPSU)
• State Child Protection Societies (SCPS)
• District Child Protection Units (DCPU)
• Child Care Institutions (CCIs)
• Police Stations
• Child Welfare Committees (CWCs)
• Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs)

Data is entered and updated at multiple levels, including police stations, CCIs/homes, shelters, CWCs, and JJBs. This enables coordination among administrative and judicial bodies dealing with children in need of care and protection, including children in street situations.

The system also provides a networking interface for citizens and authorities to facilitate the tracking of a “child in distress.”

Monitoring and Vulnerability Mapping

The software includes tools for:

• Mapping vulnerable locations with high incidences of missing children;
• Monitoring police action in tracing missing children;
• Streamlining oversight by senior officers regarding investigation and recovery efforts.

Through these mechanisms, the portal strengthens transparency, accountability, and coordination in child protection responses.

Relevance to Children in Street Situation

Children in street situations often fall within categories such as missing, found, abandoned, or children in need of care and protection. As such, their identification, rescue, placement in open shelters or children’s homes, and rehabilitation are documented and monitored through the TrackChild system under ICPS (now Mission Vatsalya).

The portal therefore represents a centralised administrative and justice-data tool for tracking vulnerable children across India.

Baal Swaraj - CiSS Portal

NCPCR developed the web portal based on procedures provided in SOP 2.0.  A “CiSS” (Children in Street Situations) link has been developed on the Baal Swaraj Portal to upload the information of children who are in street situations. The categorization of children in street situations has been done on the portal under the three broad heads as given in the SOP 2.0 of NCPCR.

The Commission has devised the portal “Baal Swaraj” https://ncpcr.gov.in/baalswaraj/ to collect data of children in street situations. This portal has been created for online tracking and digital real time monitoring mechanism of children who are in need of care and protection.

The individual login account of all District Child Protection Units/officers and Principal Secretaries of Department of Women and Child Development/Social Welfare of all States/UTs was made, so that they can fill the required information at every stage of the portal. The States were asked  to trace and complete the process for 2 lakh children which have been uploaded on the Bal Swaraj Portal already in six stages of the portal and this data of 2 lakh children (list wise, district wise) has been provided through letters and email of the Commission. Further, the States have to now also identify Children in Street Situations and upload fresh data on the portal and complete the process for fresh data in six stages of the portal. There are six stages in the portal which have to be filled by the District Child Protection Unit and State Child Protection Society.  

Stage	Procedure
Stage 1	Personal basic details of the child like name, age, address etc.
Stage 2	Filling up the Social Investigation Report (SIR) of the child.
Stage 3	Individual Child Care Plan (ICP) wherein it becomes clear that where the child is being placed, recommendation of Child Welfare Committee, sponsorship benefits etc.
Stage 4	This stage has been given to upload the order of Child Welfare Committee
Stage 5	Government implemented schemes/ benefits have been listed out from where the DCPU can select the benefit of schemes being given to the child in this stage.
Stage 6	Follow-up forms of children. Where the child has been recommended for follow-up, whether in Child Care Institution or in non-institutional care, the follow-up is done by the person assigned by the Child Welfare Committee. So, in this stage, if there are any follow-up forms filled by the officer conducting follow-ups of the child, then those forms have to be uploaded.

POCSO Tracking Portal / POCSO e-box

The POCSO Tracking Portal was launched on 17 July 2022 by Uday Umesh Lalit, the Judge of the Supreme Court of India. The portal was developed in furtherance of the monitoring mandate under Section 44 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act).

Recognising the need for a dedicated digital system to monitor implementation of the Act and facilitate victim-centric services, the portal was conceptualised as a real-time tracking mechanism for cases of child sexual abuse.

Purpose and Scope

The portal is designed to:

• Enable real-time tracking of cases registered under the POCSO Act;
• Monitor the provision of victim compensation and rehabilitation services;
• Facilitate coordinated action among key stakeholders;
• Strengthen accountability of duty bearers involved in child protection.

The system allows authorities to view case progress and ensures that support services—such as counselling, compensation, and rehabilitation—are extended to child victims in a timely manner.

Institutional Framework

Planning and monitoring functions are undertaken at the national level by child rights and justice authorities, while implementation occurs at the district level with active involvement of:

• District Child Protection Officers (DCPOs)
• Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs)
• Child Welfare Committees (CWCs)
• District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs)

The portal facilitates coordination between:

• Police Departments
• Women and Child Development Departments
• Legal Services Authorities

It also enables National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) to access information regarding:

• Status of cases before DLSAs;
• Appointment of support persons;
• Availability of interpreters, translators, counsellors, and experts assisting child victims.

Key Objectives

The POCSO Tracking Portal aims to:

1. Build a digitised and transparent mechanism for child-related services.
2. Provide an accessible system for police and child protection officers.
3. Improve functioning of District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), CWCs, and police authorities.
4. Ensure implementation of child-friendly procedures.
5. Facilitate inter-departmental information exchange.
6. Track rehabilitation processes in child sexual abuse cases.
7. Establish accountability of officials responsible for service delivery.
8. Support State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs) and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in monitoring trends and compliance.

Monitoring and Accountability

Through periodic analysis of case data, NCPCR and SCPCRs can:

• Identify systemic gaps in investigation and rehabilitation;
• Monitor timeliness of compensation and support services;
• Track compliance with statutory child-friendly procedures;
• Detect patterns or trends in institutional response across states and districts.

The portal thus represents an important digital accountability mechanism within India’s child protection and justice data ecosystem.

Children in street situations are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. When such cases arise under the POCSO Act, their rehabilitation, compensation, and protective placement may be monitored through this portal. The system therefore, intersects with broader child protection databases such as TrackChild and Mission Vatsalya, contributing to a more integrated approach to child welfare monitoring.

Appearance in Official Databases ( International Level)

At the International level, data on children in street situations is collected through human rights monitoring mechanisms, global child protection data systems, and national administrative databases supported by multilateral agencies.

United Nations Human Rights Framework

The most authoritative guidance comes from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in General Comment No. 21 (2017).

Convention on the Rights of the Child: article 43. The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State parties. It also monitors implementation of two Optional Protocols to the Convention, on involvement of children in armed conflict and on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The Committee calls upon States to:

• Develop systematic, disaggregated data collection systems on children in street situations;
• Avoid criminalisation-based data recording;
• Ensure that data reflects protection needs rather than law-and-order categories;
• Use data to design preventive and rehabilitative policies.

States report periodically to the Committee on measures taken, including statistical information on vulnerable groups such as street-connected children.

UNICEF Child Protection Data System

The UNICEF supports governments in building Child Protection Information Management Systems (CP-IMS). While UNICEF does not maintain a single global registry exclusively for children in street situations, it integrates them within broader child protection datasets.

Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS+)

The CPIMS+ (Child Protection Information Management System Plus) is a digital case management module built on Primero, a modern web-based platform designed to support child protection programming in humanitarian and development contexts.

CPIMS+ is a core component of child protection systems strengthening. It is used globally to facilitate case management for vulnerable children, including children in street situations, unaccompanied and separated children, and survivors of abuse or exploitation.

The system is supported by a global Steering Committee led by:

• UNICEF
• Save the Children
• International Rescue Committee
• Terre des Hommes
• Plan International
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• The Child Protection Area of Responsibility of the Global Protection Cluster

Together, these organizations support national governments and local agencies in implementing CPIMS+.

Procedure Followed When Children in Street Situations are Identified

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 aims to ensure that all children who need care and protection, including children in street situations, are brought under a formal protection system. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is the main authority that decides what care and support the child should receive. So, whenever such a child is found, efforts should be made to produce them before the CWC so they can access protection, rehabilitation, and a better future.

If there is no Children’s Home available immediately, the district authorities can temporarily declare a safe place as a “fit facility” under Section 51 of the Act. This could be a hostel, dharamshala, school building, vacant government quarters, or any suitable public or charitable space. Different departments like Social Welfare, Education, local authorities, and Health can work together to arrange basic facilities and security until proper long-term arrangements are made.

Production of Child before the CWC

Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, any child who needs care and protection (CNCP) must be brought before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The law clearly separates two groups of children: those in conflict with the law (CICL), who are handled by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), and those who need care and protection, who are looked after by the CWC. This ensures that vulnerable children, including those living on the streets, are treated as children needing support—not as offenders.

According to JJ Act, 2015, Section 31(1):

Any child in need of care and protection may be produced before the Committee by any of the following persons, namely:—

(i) any police officer or special juvenile police unit or a designated Child Welfare Police Officer or any officer of District Child Protection Unit or inspector appointed under any labour law for the time being in force.[This definition is expanded to include the “police beat officer/constable” in urban areas and, as a measure of gatekeeping, can include the chowkidar in the rural set-up. It also includes the Railway Police in this version of the SOP.]

(ii) any public servant;

(iii) Childline Services, or any voluntary or Non-Governmental Organization or any agency as may be recognized by the State Government;

(iv) Child Welfare Officer or probation officer;

(v) any social worker or a public spirited citizen;

(vi) or by the child himself;

(vii) or any nurse, doctor or management of a nursing home, hospital or maternity home, 

Provided that the child shall be produced before the Committee without any loss of time but within a period of twenty-four hours excluding the time necessary for the journey.

Information, Preparation and Reporting

1. If anyone — whether it is a concerned citizen, Childline 1098, police, Child Welfare Police Officer (CWPO), District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), NGO worker, doctor, nurse, labour inspector, or any public servant — finds a child in a street situation, they can produce the child before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) under Section 31(1) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, or inform Childline 1098 so the child can be brought under protection.
2. If the CWC itself receives information about such children who have not been produced before it, the Committee (with at least three members deciding) can proactively reach out to them, since they fall under the category of children in need of care and protection.
3. Bodies like the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), State Commissions (SCPCRs), and district child protection authorities can form teams to conduct surveys or rescue operations. These actions must be carried out within the JJ Act framework and in consultation with the concerned CWC.
4. The law also recognises the role of responsible citizens. If someone knows about a child in a street situation, they should inform the police or call Childline 1098 so the child can be produced before the CWC and receive proper care and protection.
5. In cases where many children are rescued at once and transport becomes difficult, the CWC can step in directly and reach the children instead of waiting for them to be brought to the Committee, ensuring they are placed safely without delay.

Production of the Child before CWC and Initial Process

• Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, a child rescued from a street situation must be produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) within 24 hours. Every such child must be officially reported to the CWC.
• Once produced, the CWC conducts an inquiry (Section 36). It speaks to the child and the person or agency that brought the child, to understand where the child was found, the circumstances, and whether the family can be traced.

If the child is living alone:

• If the Committee is satisfied that the child is a Child in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP), it reviews the Social Investigation Report (SIR) and may restore the child to parents or guardians, if it is safe and in the child’s best interest.
• If restoration is not possible and the child cannot be placed for adoption, the child may be given long-term institutional care until 18 years of age.
• After turning 18, the child may receive financial support (aftercare) up to 21 years to help them transition into independent and stable adulthood.

If the child is living with their family on the street:

• The District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) visits the family and prepares a Social Investigation Report (SIR). The family is counselled by officials or NGOs to explain why children should not remain on the streets.
• If the family wants to return to their native place, authorities may help them relocate safely. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) can coordinate with the district authorities of their home area to arrange sponsorship (under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Section 45) and link the family to government welfare schemes. Local bodies and village committees should ensure school or Anganwadi enrolment and continued support.
• If the family cannot return home, the child should be enrolled in school or Anganwadi and may attend an open shelter for safety, learning, and structured activities. The family may also be provided night shelter (“Rain Basera”) by local authorities.
• If parents are making the child beg or exploit them without genuine helpless circumstances, the CWC can order counselling and inquiry. If exploitation is intentional, legal action may be taken under Section 76 (employment of child for begging). Removal of the child from the family is a last resort and only in serious situations.
• If there is doubt about the child’s guardianship or possible trafficking, the police and Anti-Human Trafficking Unit may investigate.
• If restoration with the family is not possible, the CWC may order placement in a children’s home, fit facility, foster care, or initiate adoption procedures, depending on what is in the child’s best interest.
• If no open shelter exists, the CWC, with the District Magistrate, can temporarily declare a suitable government or NGO facility as a “fit facility” to function as an open shelter.

If the child is found working (child labour situation):

• If a child on the street is picking waste, working at tea stalls, selling items (newspapers, balloons, etc.), it is treated as child labour. As clarified by the Delhi High Court (2014 judgment in a case filed by Save the Childhood Foundation), anyone who engages a child for work — whether payment is made to the child or to someone controlling the child — is responsible under the law.
• Such persons can be booked under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the 2017 Amendment Rules, and Section 79 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• If the employer or scrap buyer gives drugs, alcohol, or tobacco instead of money (or along with money), action can also be taken under Section 77 of the JJ Act, which provides strict punishment (up to 7 years imprisonment and fine).
• If the same person is also sexually exploiting the child, they can be prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), along with other applicable laws.
• If the child is also addicted to substances, and is produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), the CWC must immediately send the child to a suitable “fit facility” for detoxification, treatment, and rehabilitation. Separate facilities should be arranged for girls.
• If no such government facility is available, the District Magistrate must arrange treatment in another district or even a private institution and ensure necessary funds and support.

The main focus is always the child’s safety, recovery, and rehabilitation, while strict legal action is taken against those exploiting the child.

Judgement

Bachpan Bachao Andolan v. Union of India (UOI) and Ors

This petition has been filed in the public interest under Article 32 of the Constitution due to serious violations and abuse of children who are forcefully detained in circuses. In many cases, these children are kept without any access to their families and under extreme inhuman conditions. The Petitioner submitted this petition after encountering many children trafficked for circus performances. The activities in these circuses strip these children of their basic rights. Most are trafficked from impoverished areas in Nepal and from underdeveloped districts in India. After detailed research and investigation, the Petitioner found that organized trafficking of children for Indian circuses, particularly from Nepal, is widespread. Typically, agents or relatives sell these children to circus owners. Sometimes, poor parents are misled with promises of high salaries and a better life. These children often face physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in these environments. This situation violates the Juvenile Justice Act and all international treaties and conventions on human rights and child rights, of which India is a signatory. Employing children in circuses violates several fundamental and statutory rights. These include the right to education, the right to freedom of expression, the ability to enter into contracts for circus work, existing labor laws, and all legal provisions related to child labor. The Solicitor General representing the Union of India expanded the petition's focus and submitted a detailed report on the issue of trafficking in children.

The Supreme Court addressed the trafficking issue, the causes of trafficking, relevant laws, India's obligations under international and regional agreements, national plans and policies to combat human trafficking, and current child protection mechanisms. The court issued the following directions to the Central Government regarding children working in Indian circuses:

(i) Issue appropriate notifications prohibiting the employment of children in circuses within two months to uphold the children's fundamental right under Article 21A of the Constitution of India.

(ii) Conduct simultaneous raids in all circuses to rescue the children and address the violation of their fundamental rights. The rescued children should be placed in Care and Protective Homes until they reach 18 years of age.

(iii) Speak with the parents of the children. If they are willing to take their children back home, this should occur after proper verification.

(iv) Create a proper rehabilitation scheme for children rescued from circuses.

Under Section 3 (Prohibition of employment of children in certain occupations and processes) of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, ‘Working in the Circus’ has been included in the Schedule under the Act.

In Re: Children in Street Situations (2022)

In In Re: Children in Street Situations, the Supreme Court of India recognized the struggles of children living on the streets, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Court looked into how authorities failed to identify and help these children. It ruled that street children are "children in need of care and protection" under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Therefore, the State has a constitutional duty under Articles 21, 24, and 39 of the Constitution to ensure their safety, development, and rehabilitation. The Court noted that without proper identification and data on street children, they miss out on essential services such as education, nutrition, healthcare, and shelter. This leaves them vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking, and child labor.

The Supreme Court then directed all States and Union Territories to conduct surveys to identify children in street situations and upload this data to the Bal Swaraj Portal. The Court also instructed District Magistrates to make sure these children are brought before Child Welfare Committees and receive rehabilitation through government programs. Additionally, the Court mandated the strict enforcement of the Standard Operating Procedure issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights for caring for street children. The judgment stressed that protecting and rehabilitating street children is an ongoing responsibility of the State and must be carried out in an organized and systematic way.

Judgment: The Supreme Court ruled that children in street situations deserve protection, identification, rescue, and rehabilitation under the Juvenile Justice Act. It ordered all State authorities to take immediate and effective actions to protect their fundamental rights and welfare.

NGO- Led studies on Street Connected Children

In India, some of the most meaningful research on on street-connected children has not come only from government reports or academic journals, but from NGOs that work directly with children every day. Their studies are grounded in field experience, outreach work, shelter homes, rescue operations, and long-term rehabilitation efforts. Information below is based on organisational reports, official websites, and published documentation by these groups.

Salaam Baalak Trust

In the 1980s, the making of Salaam Bombay!, directed by Mira Nair, brought national and international attention to the harsh realities faced by children living on the streets of India. The film exposed how poverty, migration, family breakdown, and economic hardship were pushing children into unsafe and exploitative environments. In response to these realities, Salaam Baalak Trust was established in December 1988 in Delhi.

Registered under the Indian Registration Act, 1908, the Trust is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation working in the National Capital Region. For over 36 years, it has supported street and working children by providing shelter, education, healthcare, nutrition, counselling, and vocational training. The organisation recognised that many children on the streets had left homes that were unsafe or intolerable due to abuse, neglect, or extreme poverty. On the streets, however, they lacked even the most necessities—food, security, education, and emotional care.

The name “Salaam Baalak” means “saluting the child.” This reflects the organisation’s philosophy of respecting the resilience and dignity of street-connected children. Without discrimination based on gender, religion, caste, or nationality, the Trust welcomes children under 18 and works to ensure they have safe spaces to live, learn, and grow. Its mission is rooted in the belief that protection, dignity, and opportunity are fundamental rights of every child.

Railway Children India

Railway Children India works with a simple but powerful belief: no child should have to live on the streets. Since 1996, the organisation has focused on protecting children who are alone, at risk, or migrating through India’s vast railway and transport networks.

Across the country, thousands of children pass through railway stations and bus terminals every day, often fleeing poverty, abuse, conflict, or trauma. While transport hubs may seem like places of opportunity, they are also high-risk spaces where children are vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, gangs, and other forms of abuse. Railway Children India recognises that the first few hours after a child arrives at a station are critical. Early identification and immediate outreach can prevent a child from slipping into long-term street life.

Over the past decade, the organisation has built more than 100 child-friendly railway stations and strengthened collaboration with railway authorities, police, and child protection systems. In the last ten years alone, it has reunited over 22,000 children with their families and protected nearly 24,000 children at and around railway stations.

Its mission is to create and enable sustainable change for children living alone and at risk on the streets. By building a “safe ecosystem” at transport hubs and strengthening families and communities, Railway Children India works not just to rescue children, but to prevent harm before it begins.

Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation

The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF) was founded by Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate and globally recognised child rights activist. Building on over 40 years of work to end child labour, trafficking, and exploitation, the Foundation works to create a world free from violence against children.

KSCF envisions a world where every child is free, safe, healthy, and educated. Its mission is centred on protecting child rights by addressing violence in all forms—whether through labour, trafficking, abuse, or neglect. The Foundation focuses not only on rescue and rehabilitation, but also on prevention, long-term reintegration, and systemic reform.

A key strength of KSCF is its multi-stakeholder approach. It works at grassroots, national, and global levels in partnership with governments, businesses, civil society organisations, communities, and children themselves. The Foundation plays a strong role in research and policy advocacy, identifying data gaps in child protection, education, health, and nutrition, and pushing for stronger implementation of national and international laws.

Beyond direct intervention, KSCF aims to serve as a global platform for promoting best practices in child protection. Through campaigns, public engagement, and capacity-building initiatives, it works to strengthen institutions and raise awareness about children’s rights.

Through its advocacy, research, and partnerships, the Foundation positions itself as a global voice against child abuse and exploitation, striving to ensure that every child lives with dignity, safety, and opportunity.

Society Undertaking Poor Peoples Onus For Rehabilitation (SUPPORT)

SUPPORT (Society Undertaking Poor People’s Onus for Rehabilitation) is a voluntary non-governmental organisation registered as a charitable trust in Mumbai in 1985. Founded by a group of socially committed college youth, the organisation was created with the aim of helping vulnerable children and young people who had fallen through the cracks of society.

For nearly four decades, SUPPORT has worked with street children and homeless youth, particularly focusing on prevention and treatment of drug addiction. It is among the few NGOs in India that provide residential rehabilitation programmes specifically for street-connected children and youth struggling with substance abuse—one of the most neglected and overlooked issues affecting this group.

Many of the children they work with come from extremely difficult backgrounds marked by poverty, abuse, neglect, or family breakdown. Some run away from rural homes hoping for better opportunities in big cities, only to face harsh realities. Alone and without support, many become involved in petty crime and eventually substance abuse as a coping mechanism.

SUPPORT’s team identifies such children and offers structured intervention through counselling, medical treatment, detoxification, and long-term rehabilitation. Beyond recovery, the organisation provides education and vocational training so that young people can rebuild their lives with dignity and self-reliance.

Through empathetic care and sustained rehabilitation, SUPPORT helps vulnerable youth move away from street life and reintegrate into society as healthy and skilled individuals.

Child-Led Initiatives Among Street-Connected Children.

Across India and globally, several initiatives demonstrate that street-connected children are not merely passive beneficiaries of welfare programmes but active agents capable of leadership, organisation, and advocacy.

1. Balaknama - A Newspaper Run by Street Children

Balaknama—meaning “Voice of the Children”—is a unique newspaper written by and for street and working children. It emerged from a simple but powerful need: the need for children to be heard. Instead of being spoken about, children report on their own lives, struggles, aspirations, and rights in their own words.

What began as a small initiative has grown into a strong platform of self-expression and child-led advocacy, reaching thousands across North India. Every article published is not just a story—it is an assertion of dignity, identity, and participation. The newspaper has received national and international recognition, including mention in the Limca Book of Records, for being a pioneering child-run publication.

What Makes Balaknama Unique?

• Entirely written and shaped by street and working children
• Covers real experiences from streets across seven districts in North India
• Raises awareness on child rights, safety, education, and social justice
• Creates a space where children become reporters, editors, and leaders

Vision

A world where every street and working child is seen, heard, and respected.

How Balaknama Operates

• Story Collection: Children share real-life experiences from their communities.
• Writing & Editing: Through editorial workshops and mentorship support, children develop and finalise each edition.
• Distribution: Around 5,000 Hindi and 3,000 English copies are circulated to children, NGOs, authorities, and the wider public.

Balaknama stands as a powerful example of child participation in action—transforming lived experiences into collective voice and social change.

2. The Bal Sabha ( Children's Council)

Under the guidance of Butterflies, street-connected children in Delhi have created their own participatory platforms to discuss issues affecting their lives and advocate for their rights.

One such platform is the Bal Sabha (Children’s Council), where 30–50 children aged 7 to 18 meet twice a month. These meetings provide a safe forum to discuss concerns such as child labour, police harassment, abuse, and survival challenges. From these discussions emerged the Bal Mazdoor Union, a child-led collective that campaigns for safer working conditions and recognition of working children’s rights.

The Union produces a Hindi newspaper, Bal Mazdoor Ki Awaz (The Voice of Child Labour), which gives children direct access to mainstream public discourse. The paper has covered sensitive and urgent issues, including child exploitation in parts of Delhi. Around 1,000 copies are printed and displayed across the city, ensuring visibility. Children also contribute financially toward meeting materials and activities, reinforcing ownership and accountability.

Supported by trained street educators, these initiatives operate within the children’s own living and working spaces rather than in institutional centres. Workshops have further trained child workers from multiple states to produce wall newspapers and explore radio journalism, leading to efforts toward a National Child Journalists Forum.

hese initiatives highlight an important shift: from viewing street children as passive victims to recognising them as organised, articulate rights advocates.

3. Street Child World Cup

The Street Child World Cup is an international football tournament and global advocacy platform that brings together teams of street-connected children from around the world. Founded in 2010 by Street Child United, the event uses the universal appeal of football to challenge stigma, amplify children’s voices, and influence policy on youth homelessness, education, and child protection.

Held ahead of each FIFA World Cup or FIFA Women’s World Cup, the tournament features teams representing over 20 countries. Participants—typically aged 14 to 17—are young people who have experienced street situations. The event combines sport with art, media engagement, and leadership training.

A key feature is the “General Assembly,” where children come together to draft and present collective policy recommendations to governments, international agencies, and organisations such as UNICEF. The initiative advocates for identity documents, access to education, and stronger child protection systems.

Since its launch in Durban, South Africa (2010), subsequent editions have been hosted in Brazil (2014), Russia (2018), and Qatar (2022). Over time, the movement has expanded to include initiatives such as the Street Child Games and the Street Child Cricket World Cup.

More than a tournament, the Street Child World Cup positions street-connected children as leaders and advocates, ensuring their lived experiences shape global conversations on rights and justice.

Data Challenges

Reliable data on street-connected children in India is a major concern. One key issue is undercounting, as many children are highly mobile and move between cities, railway stations, shelters, and informal settlements. There are also definitional inconsistencies; different agencies use various terms such as "street children," "homeless children," "working children," or "children in need of care and protection," which makes comparisons difficult.

Another challenge is the lack of detailed data based on age, gender, disability, caste, or migration status. There is also frequent overlap between homelessness and child protection categories, leading to duplication or exclusion in official records. Additionally, the absence of uniform reporting standards across states creates gaps in understanding and planning at the national level.

Way Ahead

Courts, policymakers, academics, and child rights organizations have proposed several reforms. These include:

1. Standardizing terminology across laws, policies, and administrative systems to ensure clarity and comparability.

2. Improving coordination between police, Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), railway authorities, and child protection agencies to avoid fragmented responses.

3. Strengthening real-time digital tracking systems, such as TrackChild, to ensure better identification, restoration, and follow-up of children.

4. Enabling systematic and longitudinal research, so data captures long-term trends rather than one-time counts.

A more coherent, transparent, and child-sensitive data system is essential to shift from reactive interventions to evidence-based and preventive child protection strategies.