As the world observes International Day for Street Children, the Family Based Care Alliance, (FaBCA), is calling for an urgent shift in how Ghana treats children living and working on the streets.
In a statement issued to mark the day, Lead Facilitator of FaBCA, Susanna Afutu Esq., said the 2026 global theme, “Access to Justice: Protect, Not Punish,” highlights a harsh reality — street-connected children are often criminalized instead of being supported as victims of poverty, neglect, and abuse.
“Children living on the streets are not offenders. They are victims of systemic failure. Our response must be protection and rehabilitation, not punishment,” Susanna Afutu stated.
FaBCA is urging government institutions to strengthen the implementation of existing child protection laws and to prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration of street children over punitive measures.
The Alliance also charged law enforcement agencies to adopt child-sensitive approaches in their operations to uphold the rights and dignity of every child they encounter.
Civil society organizations and development partners, according to FaBCA, must scale up family-based care solutions and preventive interventions to address the root causes that push children onto the streets.
Communities and individuals are equally being asked to shift perceptions and respond with compassion. “No child chooses the streets by default,” Susanna Afutu stressed.
FaBCA says it remains committed to ensuring that every child grows up in a safe, nurturing family environment.
The organization says it will continue to work through advocacy, partnerships, and community-based interventions toward a Ghana where no child is forced to live or work on the streets.
“As we mark this important day, we reaffirm a simple but powerful truth: Every child deserves protection. Every child deserves justice. Every child deserves a future,” Susanna Afutu added.
International Day for Street Children is observed globally on April 12 each year to give a voice to millions of children for whom the street is a central part of their lives.
Find attached the full statement from FaBCA on International Day for Street Children
