Family Integration Challenges for Street Children in Tanzania: The Case of Dar es Salaam City.

This study focused on investigating the challenges facing family integration for street children in Tanzania. The study employed a case study design through the use ofprimary data obtained through questionnaires and interviews from 188 respondents including street children, parents, government officers and social and community workers from NGOs and relief organisations. However, to some points, secondary data were used in data analysis. The main findings of the study show that, there is poor family integration in the country leading to rising trend of street children in urban areas especially Dar es salaam city. The efforts to reintegrate children back to their families have been constrained by limited budget allocation from the central government to municipal councils who face the problem directly; lack of cooperation among the stakeholders; and poverty among families failing them to take care of their children when are reintegrated back to their families. The study recommends for a joint effort from multiple stakeholders including the government, NGOs, media and the community to join hands in making improvements of parental care; increase awareness campaigns to both parents and children; increase counseling centers for street children; economic empowerment to communities; facilitating dialogue among key players including the government, NGOs, and international bodies to build a multidisciplinary network. Keywords: Child, Street Children, Abandoned Children, Young Delinquents