A Child-Headed Household is a family in which a minor (child or adolescent) has become the head of the household.
Child-Headed Households are most common in Africa, where the HIV epidemic has resulted in many cases where both parents have died, leaving behind a family of orphans.
Oftentimes, the children begin taking over their parents' responsibilities before the last surviving parent has passed away, as the parent is too sick or weak to work. As a result the eldest children often stop attending school and instead must get a job to create income for the family.
A recent study by Cornell University showed that in South Africa alone over 122,000 children live in Child-Headed Households.