The United States Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…” The rights of young children are constantly in question. According to the Convention of the Rights of a Child (CRC), a child is any human being under the age of eighteen (Hawes, p. 17). Children are still stuck in a world where they are “to be seen and not heard” and they need to be protected. Various groups are campaigning to protect the children. However, they are unable to function properly if they cannot save the children from harm at home. New York State Department of Social Services is not doing its job to protect the rights of children. Children are the building blocks for the future of the world. With very little rights, children seem to be lost in a society which seems to overlook the importance of youth.From 1800 to 1890, the will to industrialize consumed the world. Children were a cheep source of labor and they worked under very dangerous conditions. Children as young as six or seven years old were sent to work to earn money to help support their families. During 1890’s to the 1920’s, many reforms in children’s rights came about and the era came to be known as, “The Age of the Child.” Social Services first appeared in 1851 and its mission was to promote the social well being of children. In 1882, New York State Social Services Department determined the ages at which a child can work and conditions under which they were able to work; this was known as the “Factory Act” (Hawes, p. 28). A child now must be at least 14 years or older before they are permitted to enter the workforce and they must be at least 16 years old to work at night. The Tures, page 2child is also required to attend school. This brought about more problems for the underpri...
