Some children never get the chance to be kids

Sobaidah Gubat

For many people, childhood is associated with toys, playgrounds, cartoons, and classrooms. It is often viewed as a period of growth, learning, and exploration before the responsibilities of adulthood begin.

Yet for millions of children around the world, childhood looks very different. At an early age of six, some start selling sampaguita garlands at busy intersections, carrying goods through crowded markets, or knocking on car windows in the hope that someone will spare a few pesos. Instead of asking what game to play after school, they worry about whether there will be enough money to bring home dinner. Instead of looking forward to recess, they learn that survival cannot wait until adulthood.

The existence of street children reflects a reality that many Filipinos witness every day. But who are street children, and why do they continue to exist despite laws and programs designed to protect children?

Street children ≠ homeless

The term “street children” often brings to mind images of children sleeping on sidewalks or under bridges. However, the reality is more nuanced.

This reality is reflected in Kara David’s documentary “Diskarteng Bata,” which featured 14-year-old Dodong. He was introduced to street life at a young age after his father was imprisoned on drug-related charges. As his family’s struggles worsened, he began begging for money to help them get by. 

According to Dodong, stealing was never part of his plans—it was only after he was taken to a youth center for vagrancy that other children taught him the ‘diskarte’ of pickpocketing. Instead of becoming a turning point, the intervention became another step deeper into street life, revealing how rehabilitation efforts can fall short when children are not given the guidance and support they need.

Poverty remains one of the strongest factors pushing children into street life. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Global Trends in Child Monetary Poverty report, around 333 million children live in extreme poverty worldwide, surviving on less than $2.15 per day.

Street children, therefore, are not defined by homelessness alone. They are children whose lives have become closely tied to the streets, whether for work, survival, or both.

Growing up too soon

The experiences of street children are closely connected to a broader global issue: child labour.

For many families, sending a child to the streets is not simply a matter of choice. Many parents face barriers that make it difficult to earn a stable income, including:

• Limited educational attainment

• Lack of skills training

• Scarce employment opportunities

• Dependence on low-paying jobs

Even when parents are employed, wages are often insufficient to keep pace with rising food prices, housing costs, and other basic expenses. In households already burdened by debt, illness, or large family sizes, these financial pressures can become overwhelming. As a result, some families resort to relying on their children to contribute to household income, despite parents’ legal and moral responsibility to provide for them.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, approximately 138 million children aged 5 to 17 were engaged in child labour in 2024. Of these, 54 million performed hazardous work: jobs that expose children to dangerous traffic, toxic waste, heavy lifting, extreme heat, sharp tools, and other conditions that threaten their health and development.

Although not all street children are child labourers, many share similar experiences. Hours that could have been spent in classrooms or playgrounds are instead spent working, earning money, or helping support their families.

For them, childhood becomes less about development and more about survival.

The cost of a lost childhood

The issue is not simply that some children miss out on toys or games. It is that many spend their childhood worrying about earning money instead of learning, playing, and building friendships. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes children’s rights to education, protection, leisure, and play. These rights are considered essential because childhood experiences play a crucial role in shaping a person’s future.

For children who spend much of their childhood working or living on the streets, the effects often linger into adulthood. According to UNICEF, street-connected children face heightened risks of:

• Interrupted education

• Violence and exploitation

• Poor health and malnutrition

• Trafficking and hazardous labor

These challenges do not disappear once a child grows older. In many cases, they contribute to cycles of poverty and vulnerability that can persist into adulthood.

The gap between policy and reality

The Philippines already has programs intended to help children in street situations. Through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), initiatives such as the Pag-abot Program and residential care facilities are meant to provide rescue, temporary shelter, case management, family reintegration, and other social services for vulnerable children.

Yet, Dodong’s story raises one important question: if these programs exist, why do so many children still remain on the streets?

As of June 2026, the DSWD reported reaching out to more than 21,000 individuals in street situations since 2023, with many successfully reintegrated into their communities. At the same time, the agency has acknowledged the continuing need to expand its residential care facilities because demand for services continues to grow.

These figures suggest that the challenge is not merely whether government programs exist, but whether they are consistent, accessible, and sustained. Rescue operations may remove children from immediate danger, but without long-term support for both the child and their family, the conditions that forced them onto the streets often remain unchanged.

The real measure of intervention is not how many children are rescued, but how many are able to rebuild their lives and stay off the streets. That requires continuous assistance, stronger family support, and opportunities that address the roots of their vulnerability. Without these, many children remain caught in a cycle of rescue, return, and repeated hardship.

What the streets reveal

It is easy to see a child selling sampaguitas at a stoplight as another familiar part of the city’s landscape. After all, many Filipinos have grown accustomed to seeing them.

But behind every child weaving through traffic is a story that began long before that intersection—one shaped by poverty, missed opportunities, unstable homes, and systems that failed to protect them when they needed it most.

Street children are not reminders that some families are poor. They are reminders that, despite existing laws and interventions, many children are still growing up believing that earning a living matters more than getting an education, playing with friends, or simply being children.

Maybe the question should no longer be why children are on the streets. The real question is why, after decades of laws, programs, and promises, so many children still have to grow up there.