Early Childhood Matters is now online! Read, discuss and share individual articles on a new dedicated website.
Community violence: The new edition of Early Childhood Matters, on the subject of Community violence and young children: making space for hope, looks at the effects on young children of growing up in a violent community, and explores interventions from around the world which are offering practical solutions.
Healthy environments: The latest in the Early Childhood in Focus series of briefing notes, co-published with the Open University, shows the importance of physical environment as intimately linked to the process of growth and development of skills and identity of the child.
The Bernard van Leer Foundation is an international grantmaking foundation based in The Hague.
Our mission is to improve opportunities for children up to age 8 who are growing up in socially and economically difficult circumstances. We see this both as a valuable end in itself and as a long-term means to promoting more cohesive, considerate and creative societies with equal opportunities and rights for all.
Latest news from the Bernard van Leer Foundation
A model for costing ECCE expansion
31-03-2008
Now available: a new working paper, entitled Expanding early childhood care and education: How much does it cost? Authors Jan van Ravens and Carlos Aggio propose a methodology to estimate the costs of early childhood care and education at macro-level, and apply it to the Arab States.NB: you can also download the Excel document referenced in the text.
Final report on Bedouin playgrounds project
31-03-2008
The community educational activity center program implemented by Israel-based partner NISPED is here described in a report (pdf) which looks at how community playgrounds for Bedouin children were established over the last two years and at the prospects for sustainability.
Hand-in-Hand plans first Arab Jewish high school
06-03-2008
Read the latest news from Hand-in-Hand director Amin Khalaf about the foundation partner's progress in popularising Arab-Jewish education in Israel, including plans for the world’s first bilingual Arab-Jewish high school.
February newsletter from DECET
19-02-2008
Read the latest from DECET (Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training) in their February newsletter (pdf).
Children of imprisoned parents in the news
18-02-2008
The issue championed by foundation partner EUROCHIPS received news coverage recently when Scotland's commissioner for children and young people released a report describing children of imprisoned parents as "invisible victims of crime" whose rights and needs are ignored when sentencing decisions are made.
New print run for working paper on child participation
14-02-2008
Following a new print run, it is now possible again to order free printed copies of Working Paper 36, Can you hear me: The right of young children to participate in decisions affecting them, first published in 2005.
First two Online Outreach Papers now available
24-01-2008
The first two papers in a new web-based series of publications are now available. The Online Outreach Papers series will allow the foundation flexibility to publish more niche and/or time-limited papers without the expense associated with printing and distribution. Read more
Progress in integrated Arab-Jew education
22-01-2008
Click here for the latest from Israel-based foundation partner Hand in Hand, including news of a multimillion dollar new campus and the education minister's support for expanding bilingual education.
Involving young children in design
21-01-2008
The latest in our series of working papers is now available to download and order. Early childhood spaces: Involving young children and practitioners in the design process discusses how under-6s can be involved in designing spaces for early childhood provision.
Update on Venezia Institute's story of George
18-01-2008
Following on from this story from the Venezia Institute, this photo shows George - who featured in educational materials about forging links between cultures - speaking to a Hebrew-dominated kindergarten class recently joined by an Arab-speaking child. Nilly Venezia comments: "It was amazing to see how children really were interested in the contents of the story they heard more than a month ago and when George arrived, they started asking him questions about his life."
