Street Children’s Voices on Relevance of Social Assistance Programs: Insights from Charitable Children Institutions in Nakuru City, Kenya

Globally, children being on the streets is a function of a myriad of factors, including systemic failures of the very institutions that are charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the rights of children. As a result, there has been increased institutionalisation of children into orphanages and charitable children's institutions (CCIs). This study sought to examine the relevance of the Social Assistance Programs (SAPs) provided by the CCIs in improving the well-being of children. The study was anchored on the Human Capability Approach developed by Amartya Sen, which focuses on development that expands the real freedoms, improves the well-being, and quality of life. The study used a survey design targeting 205 children in 10 CCIs aged between 12 and 18 years. A multi-stage sampling method was used to sample the children from the 10 CCIs that were purposively selected because they target street children. Researcher-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. The data was analysed using quantitative methods. Cross-tabulation was used to show relationships or patterns of association between relevance and the well-being of street children. The findings indicated a weak but significant positive relationship between the relevance and adequacy of services (χ² = 4.429, df = 1, p = 0.035, ), relevance and leisure activities (χ² = 4.12, df = 1, p = 0.042, ), as well as between relevance and information on rights (χ² = 4.665, df = 1, p = 0.022, ). The study recommends strengthening the relevance of SAPs in social work practice as policy emphasis shifts to family-based care.