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Abstract

In Chile, street children and youngsters' situations have changed significantly over the last decades. The Metropolitan Observatory is an innovative organization that makes it possible to follow this velnerable group. The Observatory is becoming a pioneering actor in the subject, thanks to the participative work and agreed consensus of different institutions involved.

The aim of this paper is to introduce the innovative cross-sectoral work done by the Metropolitan Observatory for street children and youth.

Key Take Away Points

  • The Metropolitan Observatory is becoming a pioneering actor in the subject, thanks to the participative work and agreed consensus of different institutions involved.
  • The Observatory is considered to be an innovative work model, as it brings together different sectors concerned with the subject, who reflect and analyse the phenomenon periodically, reaching a consensus about the profile and its main needs and strengths, emphasizing the importance of visualizing the phenomenon since childhood, and searching to promote the design, development and management of comprehensive public policies aimed at this population.
  • Children and youngsters’ profiles havesignificantly changed, which is why having an organization that permanently generates updated information, as well as reflecting about the priority action lines for intervention, is fundamental in terms of public policies.

Author Biography

Paula Bedregal is a doctor and psychologist at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where she recieved her masters in Public Health and Epidemiology and PhD in Psychology. Dr. Bedregal also has a masters in Sciences, Health Systems Management and Policy (c) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She works on the Department of Public Health in the School of Medicine at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and is an associate professor in the department of public health (2007 to present). Dr. Bedregal is also a member of different associations such as Chilean Society of Bioethics; Department of Ethics Colegio Medico de Chile, Consejo Nacional, (since august 2005). (National Medical Union) and Member of the Chilean Society of Health Psychology. Liliana Guerra is a professor of Social Work at the Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile. She is a Social Work undergraduate from Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile, with a postgraduate degree in Family Studies from the same university. She also has a Masters degree in Social Work at Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile and she is Doctor (c) in Latin-American Studies at the University of Chile. Her teaching areas are Social Policy and Intervention in Families. Her line of research is culture, families and social policy, with a special interest in the area of childhood and family. She participates as an academic expert in the Observatory of Street Children and Youngsters and in the Observatory of Sexual and Commercial Exploitation of Children, which is led by the Center of Public Policy UC. Paula Margotta, Lawyer of Universidad de Chile, Master in Social Policy and Development, London School of Economics and Political Science. Diploma in Public Policy at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Currently she works at the Center of Public Policy UC, where her areas of research are related to issues of poverty and social exclusion, children and social innovation. Specifically in the area of childhood she led the Metropolitan Observatory for street children and youngsters (2008 to present), and the Metropolitan Observatory for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (2010 to date). In this area, her main publications are "Children and young people on the street: challenges for intervention from the perspective of the forces" (Public Policy Research Contest 2011) and "Children Policy locally: Requirements and Contributions of Information Management" (Public Policy Research Competition 2007). Emilia Valenzuela, obtained her undergraduate degree in Sociology at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Diploma in Public Policy and Diploma of Advanced Techniques in Social Analysis Data at the same university. She was also Adjunct Professor of Communications, where she taught "Theory of Social Communication: Mass Media Theory" course. Since 2009 she works at the Center of Public Policy UC and is currently the Coordinator of the Metropolitan Observatory for street children and youngsters (2009 to present), and the Metropolitan Observatory for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (2010 to date). Her areas of work and research are related to childhood and poverty. Some of her publications are: "Children and young people on the streets: challenges for intervention from the perspective of the forces" (Valenzuela, Bedregal, Guerra, Margotta, 2011) and "Perceptions of university students in the region V and VIII on issues of poverty and social intervention" (Valenzuela, Manzano, 2008).

Acknowledgements

National Corporation for Narcotics Control, currently called SENDA Ex Ministry of Planning, and current Ministry of Social Development The Red Sename (Sename Network) is the set of projects implemented by the different SENAME’s Accredited Collaborating Organisations, which have been acknowledged as such through an administrative act of the same Service, and which have funding for the development of their activities aimed at providing care for children and teenagers, as well as the centres which are run directly (National Minors Service. Department of Planning and Management Control, 2012).13 Metropolitan Observatory for Street Children and Youngsters San Carlos de Maipo Foundation Don Bosco Foundation Peace and Justice Service (SERPAJ) Chilean Association pro-United Nations (ACHNU) Mall Plaza Social Integration Program Hogar de Cristo Foundation

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