Assessment of Social Work Services for Street Children in Benin City, Edo State

Street children represent a particularly marginalised group whose welfare demands urgent professional social work response due to their exposure to exploitation, violence, and developmental harm. This study assesses the adequacy and accessibility of social work services for street children in Benin City, Edo State, South South Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey approach, data are gathered from 90 street children, social workers, and NGO staff through structured questionnaires and informal interviews. Data are analysed using frequencies and percentages. The study finds that the majority of street children in Benin City have either fled abusive home environments or migrated from poverty-stricken rural communities. Services available to them include drop-in shelters, food programmes, and literacy classes operated by NGOs, while government social welfare involvement is described as negligible. Social workers engage in outreach but rarely achieve sustained case management due to the mobility of street children and the absence of a dedicated legal and policy framework for their protection. Recommendations include enacting a specific policy framework for street children's welfare, increasing government investment in rehabilitation programmes, strengthening NGO-government collaboration in street child protection, and prioritising family tracing and community reintegration as core social work strategies. Keywords: street children, social work services, Benin City, rehabilitation, child protection