From Street Children To Children In Street Situations: Reframing Local Policy Implementation Through Charles O. Jones’s Framework In Palembang, Indonesia

Abstract

The phenomenon of children living or working in public spaces (children in street situations CISS) represents a policy issue involving poverty, family vulnerability, social deprivation, limited access to education and services, and risks of exploitation and violence. The shift from “street children” to CISS requires transforming policy implementation from public-space control toward child rights protection. This study analyzes the implementation of Palembang City Regulation No. 12 of 2013 on the Guidance of Street Children, Vagrants, and Beggars using Charles O. Jones’s implementation model, encompassing organization, interpretation, and application. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed through documentary analysis of regulations, local government documents, statistics, international reports, and literature published between 2021 and 2026. Data were analyzed thematically to examine institutional capacity, policy interpretation, and implementation practices. Findings indicate that outreach, rehabilitation, and child support mechanisms have been established; however, implementation remains constrained by institutional fragmentation, weak data governance, inconsistent policy interpretation, and limited sustainability. The absence of consistent CISS data for 2023–2025—as verified through administrative record reviews does not indicate a declining prevalence, but rather reflects structural weaknesses in cross-institutional information integration, the lack of standardized documentation, and the absence of a localized digital case-monitoring system. Effective implementation requires a rights-based, data-driven, and collaborative governance approach integrating family strengthening, sustainable reintegration, and child protection to advance urban governance and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).