Both statistics and programs specific to older homeless youth ages 16-24 could not be found. It is suggested that programs expand both their services and data base from 18 to older youth. 

Mexico "street children" include children ages 6-18 who either live/work on the streets with their families, or those who are abandoned to live and work on their own.  The following information is taken from http://www.mexico-child-link.org/street-children-definition-statistics.htm on Mexico street children ages 6-18.  Based on these statistics, it is very important to expand services past age 18 for these youth who will not be able to automatically become self-sufficient adults at age 18. 

• Mexico City has 1,900,000 underprivileged and street children. 240,000 of these are abandoned children. (Action International Ministries)
• In the central area of Mexico City there are 11,172 street children. 1,020 live in the street and 10,152 work there. (City of Mexico/Fideicomiso, Report, 1991)
• In 1996, the Inter-American Development Bank and UNICEF estimated there were 40 million children living or working on the streets of Latin America--out of an estimated total population of 500 million.
• Begging - Some 20% of the children survive by begging, 24% by selling goods, and others by doing subcontracting work. ("Over 5 Million Child Laborers in Mexico", Xinhua: Comtex, 14 September 2000, citing National System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), "Prevention, Attention, Discouragement and Eradication of Childhood Labor")
• 8-11 million children under the age of 15 years are working in Mexico. (US Dept of Labor, Sweat and Toil of Children, 1994, citing US Dept of State, Human Rights Report, 1993)