Book Description
Though it may seem hard to believe, it took America's lawmakers some 110 years before they crafted legislation aimed at protecting the welfare of children. Eventually, laws were passed to aid and protect children. This ideal student reference examines and explains in detail 20 such laws that have affected America's youth in various ways. A discussion of the history and impact of each law is followed by a carefully edited version of the law itself. Examples include the National School Lunch Act, which provided free or reduced-cost meals to young students; the Uniform Drinking Age Act, which set the national drinking age at 21; the Fair Labor Standard Act, the first successful federal attempt to regulate child labor; and the Selective Service Act, which required young men to register for the draft. The landmark laws are divided into three parts: "Health and Welfare Laws," "Citizenship and Democratic Participation Laws," and "Education Laws." The laws are organized chronologically within each section. An introductory overview examines the history of children's issues in federal legislation and explores reform movements and the advocacy of children's concerns. The introduction also makes manifestly clear that students are not an unempowered constituency, and have ample opportunities to make their voices heard. A timeline and appendix will also aid student research, making this volume an indispensable guide to America's laws concerning its young people. ... Read more

Book Description
Children who live and work on the streets or work in commercial situations at a young age, are subjected to gross injustice and are frequently neglected by national law --- despite the fact that almost every country has signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This is a one-stop guide both for experienced advocates and for non-specialists in the field. It explains how to use regional and international treaties and mechanisms for the protection and defense of street and working children when national law fails.

The last fifty years have seen the emergence of a range of human rights treaties together with permanent monitoring systems established by the UN. While these are imperfect tools, they can be very useful in supporting national campaigns, and creating pressure for legislative reform or an end to particular violations.

This manual, which presents information in an accessible question-and-answer format, is divided into three sections for ease of reference: the first section defines substantive rights --- survival, fair treatment, and empowerment; the second section provides practical guidelines on how to use regional and international human rights systems such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, or the UN Committee on Torture; the last section contains a comprehensive list of human rights documents with tables by country detailing the status and the stage in the implementation process of each of the convention in each country. ... Read more