Among the most important deprivations faced by street children is the lack of a protective and guiding adult,[1] but some street children manage to find individuals to fulfill this role. Though most live on their own or with friends, some street children form connections with families that live on the streets or in slums and see these families as their substitute families.[2] Many of these children find a "mother-figure" that cares for them when they are ill and is interested in their well-being.[8]