Professional Evaluation of Street Children Intervention Programmes in Abuja

Street children in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory represent a population of acute social vulnerability, yet the proliferation of intervention programmes with varying methodologies and outcomes demands systematic professional evaluation to inform resource allocation and programme improvement. This study professionally evaluates street children intervention programmes operating in Abuja, examining three programmes run by government agencies and faith-based organizations. A professional programme evaluation framework was employed, combining programme document review, structured surveys administered to sixty-eight current and former programme beneficiaries, and interviews with twenty-two programme staff, social welfare officials, and community observers. The Child Wellbeing and Rights-Based approach provided the normative framework. Findings indicate that residential rehabilitation programmes demonstrated the highest short-term outcome scores for basic needs satisfaction and educational enrollment, but had high relapse rates of 56% within twelve months of discharge, attributed to inadequate reintegration planning and unresolved family-level push factors. Non-residential community-based programmes demonstrated lower short-term impact but superior long-term retention, with 71% of participants maintaining improved living situations at twelve months. The most critical gap across all evaluated programmes was absence of family-focused interventions that addressed the root causes of children's street presence, including parental poverty, domestic violence, and family breakdown. Child participation in programme design was minimal across all three evaluated programmes. Recommendations include mandatory family needs assessment before programme admission, investment in non-residential models, and establishment of inter-programme case management coordination in Abuja. Keywords: street children, intervention programmes, Abuja, child welfare, reintegration.