Haiti's Restavek Children Dubbed as "modern-day slaves by the U.N."

There are an overwhelming 300,000 restaveks currently residing in Haiti. The word "restavek" means "to stay with" in Creole and is a common arrangement where parents send their child to live with another family due to money issues or lack of a school nearby. In some cases, the child is sold for money.

The United Nations feels that the system is like "a modern form of slavery," as the children are responsible for the domestic work, such as preparing meals, collecting water, cleaning, doing laundry, and emptying bedpans. The children are forced to sleep on the floor and must rise at dawn to begin housework. As if that isn't enough, they sometimes are physically and sexually abused.

--Sally Carter, World News Editor