A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ...

children's health needs exceeded the capacity of shelters children were referred to
public hospitals. Shelters conducted substance abuse awareness and advocacy in
particular for children in trouble with the law. Shelter D services included 'harm
reduction' this was specifically and specially designed program aimed at reducing
physical harm form violence, drug and sexual abuse, health condition of children
experienced on the street. The intervention was to stabilize children from street social
world before moving them to second phase shelters. As we observed earlier the
process of harm reduction could be delayed by children's frequent absconding, in
tandem with the shelter's respect of the child's right to make voluntary choices. In
shelter D, children came into contact with shelters services for the first time. On arrival
they were made to feel welcome.
4.2.4 Shelters Admission
Shelters managers stated that, the procedure of referring children into the shelters was
as follows: Once a child had been spotted within the city precincts South African Police
Services (SAPS) or the Durban Metro City Police duty officers would contact outreach
workers. They would mount a search, pick up the child or children and take them to
phase one shelter. There was an elaborate system of outreach workers who run drop in
centers, outreach street bus, or meet children while walking on the streets. Once
outreach workers made contact with children, first, they initiated the process of building
trust and then introduce them to services available in shelters. Children living and/or
working on the streets themselves and members of the public also played a role
whereby they would inform a newcomer on the streets of the existence of shelters.
Once contact is made and initial rapport is built, children were taken to the first phase
shelter where the process of stabilizing the child started. The hope was that outreach
programs would diminish the role and involvement of the police in children lives. The
desire to minimize and do away with police involvement in the lives of children was
favoured because police involvement in the past generated negative responses. Police
were accused of mishandling and harassing children on one hand, and, on the other,
created the image and stigma that children living and/or working on the streets were
criminals. Shelters advocated that children should be free to be in the shelters and take
part in the activities. Each shelter formulated and decided its admission criteria guided
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