The care of children and adolescents has been part of a movement that did not arise suddenly, but was the result of years of struggle and awareness. In Brazil, this fight is still ongoing, especially when it comes to caring for socially disadvantaged children, as besides the difficulties experienced by all children, this population also faces class difference. The literature review, with a dialectical approach, aims to understand through a historical study, which is restricted to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the development of childhood sentiment in the Brazilian reality and the development of this sentiment, and the recognition of the rights of children and adolescents up to the present day. It also seeks to understand whether these rights are indeed universal, or only intended for part of this population. Despite the progress made in the recognition of the rights of children and adolescents, there is still much to be done, especially when in regard to socially disadvantaged children.