Homeless and Street-Connected Childhoods: Contemporary Challenges within International Convention Frameworks

Conceptualisations of homeless and/or street-connected children are tied to national and international policy language and environments governing notions of what childhood is and its interpretation and understanding in local contexts. In this chapter, we aim to explore what it means to be homeless–a term used in connection with children predominantly in high income countries (HICs)–and street-connected–used in contexts in all countries. Both these descriptors engage with particular discourse(s) about how children are labelled that should be interrogated and critiqued. In doing so, we contextualise the evolution of normative notions of childhood in relation to children’s place and their physical and political positioning in society. The discussion encompasses key childhood studies concepts such as agency and voice in light of international policy development and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), as well as in relation to rising poverty levels on a global scale and its consequences for children’s living situations and access to healthy and safe living conditions.