Youth work on the street: Community's moral compact with its young people

Youth work is a principal strategy for responding to children and young people on the streets in many countries. Youth work praxis has many forms worldwide and it is necessary to accept this and not urge a single model. A definition of youth work as a family of practices gives legitimacy to this variety. It is argued that the multiple sources for the philosophy behind youth work should be acknowledged along with their ethical implications. Youth work includes the reciprocal development of youth and community as well as being a vocation.