Nursing interventions to help prevent children from working on the streets

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Child Welfare
• Nursing Interventions

Background:

• Limited public health nursing interventions exist for preventing child labor.
• Public health nursing is crucial for street child prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the 'Streets are Not the Solution' program.
• To assess the program's effectiveness in preventing children from working on the streets.

Main Methods:

• Semi-experimental study (April 2011-July 2012) in Izmit, Turkey.
• Recruited 36 children working on streets and their mothers.
• Intervention included educational sessions, individual consulting, and vocational training for mothers.
• Program impact assessed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3 months later using validated questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The program enhanced mothers' parental roles and problem-solving skills.
• Increased mothers' social support networks were observed.
• The intervention was effective in preventing children from working on the streets.

Conclusions:

• Family-based interventions, including public health nursing, are vital for preventing child street labor.
• Integrating public health nurses' roles in street child prevention is essential within healthcare systems.