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The Department of Labor is the sole federal agency that monitors
child labor and enforces child labor laws. The most sweeping federal law that
restricts the employment and abuse of child workers is the
Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA). Child labor provisions under FLSA are designed to protect the
educational opportunities of youth and prohibit their employment in jobs that
are detrimental to their health and safety. FLSA restricts the hours that youth
under 16 years of age can work and lists hazardous occupations too dangerous
for young workers to perform. Enforcement of the FLSA's child labor provisions
is handled by the Wage and Hour Division of the
Departments Employment Standards Administration.
See the Office of Compliance Assistance Policy's Web pages on
youth in the workplace for
compliance assistance for laws affecting youth.
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Resources for Youth
ODEP's focus on youth policy is aimed at improving transition outcomes of youth and young adults with disabilities toward successful employment and adulthood.
The Department's YouthRules! initiative seeks to
promote positive and safe work experiences for young workers.
The Employment and Training
Administration sponsors many programs designed to provide training
opportunities and and job placement assistance programs for Americas
youth.
The Department's Bureau of International Labor
Affair's (ILAB) International Child
Labor Program's efforts and activities include research and reporting on
international child labor, administering grants to organizations engaged in
efforts to eliminate child labor, and working to raise public awareness and
understanding of the problem of abusive child labor.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics,
which serves as a statistical resource to the Department of Labor, gathers
statistics on a variety of subjects including those related to child labor.
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