Research

An important part of our mission is to understand what is best practice in working with street-involved children. We want to make sure our intervention efforts are strategic, effective, and targeted appropriately. Therefore, we engage in research - and we support and encourage others to engage in research - that will give us greater insight into addressing the problems associated with children on the streets.

• Our central research goal is to understand what is most effective in intervention with street children.
• We partner with universities to facilitate innovative field research.
• We train field researchers in ethical practice
• We provide a critical link between researchers and practitioners to make sure new research is both relevant and accessible.

Current research projects include:

Transitioning Off the Streets

This qualitative study examines the experiences of former street boys in La Paz, Bolivia who successfully transitioned off the streets through a residential program.  It documents their journeys from their original homes onto the streets, and then off of the streets through residential care, focusing specifically on how the boys characterized the transition process and what they believe enabled their transition success.

School Experiences of Street-Involved Youth

This mixed-methods study aims to develop a deeper and more accurate understanding of the relationships street-involved children have with the local school system.  This study focuses on the factors associated with student drop-out and closely examines the nature of students' experiences in school.