Exploring the social context of street children

Abstract

South African legislation and policies acknowledge street children as a vulnerable group, and make provision for services to them. It, however, seems that this social issue remains a serious challenge to society and social service delivery. This qualitative research study aimed to explore and describe the perceptions of street children, their parents/guardians, as well as community members in the Drakenstein Municipal area in an effort to develop a better understanding of the current state of affairs. The findings resulted in the identification of focus areas for the planning and imple- mentation of social services to street children.