Today, tens of millions of children are living or working on the world’s streets. Their numbers keep growing due to population growth, intensifying urbanisation and migration, particularly in the developing world, amongst others. Children are pushed into living and working on the street by many factors, such as poverty, domestic abuse, or even the ideal of ‘freedom’ that is thought to be found on the streets. Some of the most pressing challenges street children face include difficulties in maintaining basic health and accessing health services, violence and abuse, and dangerous working conditions. Street children’s rights remain threatened and undermined in many cases. Much more must be done to counter the root causes that lead children to live and work on the streets, and to guarantee respect and full realisation of the rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.