Many children in Haiti are engaged in child labor, including domestic work and agriculture. There are an estimated 816,000 children and adolescents engaged in child labor, 34% of all 5 to 14 year olds. Because some parents are unable to care for their children, they send them to either orphanages or to live with relatives or strangers, who are expected to provide food, shelter and schooling for the children in exchange for housework. In some instances, these expectations are not met and children are not in school.

Often, these children become domestic workers and are victims of labor exploitation and abuse. Some children are trafficked both internally and to the Dominican Republic. Others are illegally recruited and fall into forced labor, which could include working in a home, in the fields, or on the streets. 

Another challenge is posed by the lack of documentation, like birth certificates. Many Haitian children’s births are not registered, and different natural disasters, like the 2010 earthquake, cause the loss of many other identification papers. This lack of documents makes it more difficult to protect children against Labor Code or Criminal Code violations, and for children to access social assistance services and educational programs from the Government.

Out-of-school children are at increased risk of engaging in child labor or of becoming victims of human trafficking. There is a lack of market-based skills and employment opportunities for youth and access to social protection services. This results in an insufficient protection of child and worker rights by the government, private sector and civil society.