Deeply concerned about the serious social problem of child-headed households, in particular those headed by girls, whic h may result from the death of parents and legal guardians and other economic, social and political realities, and that the impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, including illness and mortality, the erosion of the extended family, the exacerbation of povert y, unemployment and underemployment and migration, as well as urbanization, have contributed to the increase in the number of child-headed households,