Strategies to eradicate child labour in Costa Rica seem to be working because statistics show a considerable decline in recent years. In fact, PANI-911 only recorded 70 calls during the first quarter of 2016.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that during 2015, about 28,000 children were under working conditions. However, in 2002, there were more than 110,000 complaints.
In 2012, 617 complaints due to labour exploitation of minors were reported to PANI-911. Nevertheless, in 2015, there were only 191 cases.
Fanny Cordero, Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI) spokeswoman, explained that children under 15 years old must study and their parents are responsible for working and covering the family’s expenses.
A few years ago it was common to see children working on the streets. However, Security Forces, PANI and Municipal Police operations during the first half of the year have not recorded a single case.
According to Costa Rican regulations, children under 15 years old are not allowed to work. However, people under 18 years old and over 15 years old can be employed with a special permission provided by the Ministry of Labor.