Urban street children empowerment and support: final program report

This report provides a review of the accomplishments of the Urban Street Children Empowerment and Support (USCES) programme in Indonesia, run by Save the Children. It also provides lessons learned.

The first section of the document provides background into the history of street children programmes in Indonesia. The report then goes on to decribe the programme design and objectives of the Urban Street Children Empowerment and Support programme.

Results of the programme highlighted and examined in detail in this report include:

• capacity of NGOs to deliver assistance to street children enhanced
• access to and use of health services by street children increased
• special needs of girl street children addressed
• alternatives to the street developed.

During the National Conference Best Practices in the Social Protection of Street Children, a variety of governmental and nongovernmental programme providers reflected on what has been learned about developing effective programmes for street children. Many noted that the USCES Program was a leader in promoting innovation and encouraging paradigm shifts in "what works" with street children. The following broad lessons learned were themes of the conference:

• working through local NGOs to mobilise communities allows a greater range of creative solutions and strategies to emerge
• one of the greatest challenges faced by NGOs working with street children is how to help children access government services
• expanding access to health services has been one of the most successful aspects of the Urban Street Children programme
• professional networks for NGO activists foster best practices and ensure quality of programming for street children
• meeting the needs of girl street children is still a challenge
• going to scale with efforts to promote youth employment should be a priority
• providing homeless children and youth with appropriate services remains a challenge
• local NGOs working with street children continue to be dependent on donor funds.