Brazil was one of the first Latin American countries to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and adapt it into national law. In 1990 the new Brazilian Constitution approved Article 227 - the Child and Adolescent Statute (also known as ECA). The introduction of this article reads:

It is the duty of the family, society and the state to guarantee the child and the adolescent, with absolute priority, the rights to life, health, food, education, leisure, professional training, culture, dignity, respect, freedom, family and social life, and to protect them from all forms of negligence, discrimination, exploitation, cruelty and oppression.

Since the 1980's, however, many urban areas from north to south are witnesses to a significant number of kids who spend the majority of their time on the streets.

In the northern city of Salvador, Bahia, the Don't Call Me Street Kid! Campaign finds promise in the activities of two programs: Projeto Axê and Bagunçaço. Although they are two different projects, they share one common approach: using artistic and cultural expression as a venue for children to dream and change their realities. Axê incorporates this method into the formal school setting, while Bagunçaço brings the magic of the performing arts to the streets.