Understanding Effects of the Plan for Organizing Stree Children by Considering its Challenges

Abstract

The plan for organizing street children as a part of Welfare organization efforts has been in progress for more than a decade. Understanding the effects of this plan with a comprehensive look at its challenges is the goal of this study.This qualitative research was conducted in 2016. The study population was managers, experts, educators, children and caregivers in 4 provinces of Tehran, Semnan, Kurdistan and Sistan and Baluchestan. Through purposive sampling, a sample of 124 people was interviewed and data were analyzed by thematic analysis method. A total of 11 main themes, 28 sub themes and 79 concepts were extracted. Two main themes including deficiencies of the plan and complicated charactersitics of the street children problem exceeding the possibilities of the plan were the intrinsic challenges of the plan and main concepts of irresponsible organizational and infrastructural views, shortage of budget, techniques and skills, problems of workforce and synergy of problems and insufficient services were plan’s operational challenges. Under the effects of these challenges, the plan had different outcomes. The main themes about effects were continuity of working as a response to problems of family ,education and environment, better parents-child relations because of fear of center, difficulties of parenting and intertwinded feeling of imprisonment and happiness.overall the plan faced many intrinsic and operational challenges that lead to inadequate implementation of it. It has been successful in chaging the custody of some children, but it is not good enough at reducing working rate and increasing school attandence of street children.

Keywords

• street children's organizing centers
• social problem
• challenges
• effects
• qualitative study