All over the world children of poor families have worked, apparently for all time. A given country outlaws the practice only once it reaches a certain level of development where the government can provide for the children's education and food needs. In the US child labor laws had to be passed. But here we also have food stamps, WIC, and other social service nets to help poor families. I think it is natural for nations to do this once they can. The inequality of the value of national currencies around the world is what causes some countries to be able to give children childhoods where their only responsibility is learning and growing, while in some countries children must "earn their keep."