Homelessness in the United Kingdom has very wide ramifications. Young homeless people face a difficult transition into adult life as poverty, low self-esteem, lack of family support, and lack of qualifications reinforce each others' effects. Homeless young people start behind their peers in educational achievement. Government policies put up…

The street children of Brazil live in unimaginable poverty and squalor, stealing jewelry or selling their bodies to survive, wandering homeless and untaught, pursued by death squads who clean up the streets by washing them with blood. The street youthworkers interviewed for the in-depth study delineated in this book some inspired by the Catholic…

Provides a historical survey on the plight of homeless children, focusing on how the former Soviet Union dealt with this problem. States that the system of social protection for orphaned children, created by the Soviet Union, was not able to deal with the growing problem. (CMK)

Discusses social science research methodologies and reviews domestic and foreign research on homelessness. Concludes that additional research would make only a marginal contribution to solving what has been identified as an economic and political problem. (FMW)

Interviewed 145 adolescent street youth in Toronto, Canada, to examine association of depression with alcohol and drug use and related problems, social supports, self-esteem, family background, and alcohol and drug use among family members. Results indicated that best predictors of depression among street youth were self-esteem and length of time…

Reviews five books on child labor, published 1997-2000, with reference to the International Labour Organization's 1999 convention that retreats from its previous hard stance on child labor. Discusses street children; public policy on child labor, child welfare, and school attendance; types of children's work; and working children as agents…

Introduces the lessons offered in this issue of "Middle Level Learning" that are based on the materials prepared for the New York State Great Irish Famine curriculum guide in honor of the 150th anniversary of the worst year (1847) of the Great Irish Famine. (CMK)

Describes predicaments students may face if their families are temporarily homeless, which can seriously affect their health and education. A study of temporarily homeless Scottish families shows that teachers may be unaware of such situations and the ramifications for student health, school attendance, and school performance. Creative inservice…

Training programmes for unemployed people are often designed to meet the identified vocational skill needs of businesses. We describe research across a number of projects in Leeds (United Kingdom) providing training to unemployed and marginalised adults. The focus was on those with multiple barriers to accessing and sustaining training and…

The Basic Education Development Scheme (BEDS) was first proposed in 1983 as a way of extending adult basic education services to single homeless persons. Its overall objective was to explore through programs (not research) the most fruitful ways of helping homeless men and women improve their literacy skills and eventually enter the mainstream…

Examines the current child welfare policy and practice in Canada with regard to homeless youths, especially those age 16 and older, and profiles a long-term residential program for homeless youths. Implications and recommendations for child welfare are discussed. (MDM)

Provides an overview of child welfare and early childhood education programs in Vietnam, including statistics on infant mortality, child survival, vaccination ratios, birth weight trends, and rates of disease and disability. Describes government programs to promote child welfare; early childhood (creche) education; kindergarten; programs for…

Russia's schools are experiencing enormous problems traceable to the nation's economic condition. However, many schools today are more democratic, decentralized, and open. Thumbnail sketches of a specialized English-language school, a children's shelter school, and a private school reflect the new diversity in Russian education. (MLF)

Notes that Brazilian street children are socially branded as criminals, limiting their opportunities to improve themselves and believe they can change their lives for the better. Draws on interviews with street children to provide a true picture of daily struggles and demonstrates ability and creativity in many situations. (LBT)

Draws on research with Brazilian street children to present methodological and ethical challenges inherent in research with street children; provides suggestions for overcoming these challenges. Issues of concern include the following: definition and sampling, and lack of clarity in these areas; measurement aspects, including surveys,…