Honduran authorities dedicated to the protection of children and adolescents shave undertaken a campaign to protect youngsters who beg on the streets. In the capital of Tegucigalpa alone, the effort has resulted in the rescue of 350 children, city officials say. The Honduran Institute of Childhood and Family, together with the police and the district attorney, carry out operations around the country to rescue the children and punish the parents. “Many children are used for begging,” said Nora Urbina, special prosecutor for children’s issues. “Many children are rented and that is precisely what we hope to punish, because Article 170 of the Juvenile Penal Code sets a penalty of up to six years in detention.” Those children who were rescued are taken to the Honduran Institute of Childhood and Family and then handed over to their parents with the promise that their rights will be protected. Parents who allow their children to be exploited in this way face, in addition to as many as six years in prison, the equivalent of a $500 fine.