Cases
Find out more about what we’ve achieved and learned through our work in various parts of the world.
India’s Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge helps cities to support families
The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge is a three-year initiative working with selected Indian cities to pilot and scale ways to improve urban life for infants, toddlers and caregivers – including through… Read more
Harvard executive programme on leading and scaling early childhood programmes
Demonstrating that a project benefits young children is one thing; delivering that model at scale, to benefit millions of children, presents different challenges altogether. Together with the John F. Kennedy… Read more
Mental health support for refugee children and communities
Experiences in the early years of a child’s life can and should build a foundation of resilience – but children who have had to leave their homes and grow up… Read more
Why playgrounds should be part of all refugee shelters
The Bernard van Leer Foundation partnered with UNHCR – the United Nations refugee agency – and AVSI Brasil (Associação Voluntários para o Serviço Internacional) to construct early childhood-focused public spaces… Read more
A month of early childhood in Brazil raises public awareness on the importance of the early years
Brazil’s first-ever “early years month”, in August 2021, started with messages projected onto the National Congress in the nation’s capital, Brasília. Over ten consecutive nights a public awareness campaign saw… Read more
Advocacy leads to new legal framework in Israel
Through patient engagement with leading legislators, the Coalition for Education from Birth – formed in 2015 – has contributed to several major policy gains: in July 2017, Israel’s Knesset passed… Read more
Home visiting services scale up in Brazil
Criança Feliz was set up by the Ministry of Citizenship (then known as the Ministry of Social Development) with support from the Bernard van Leer Foundation and others. By the… Read more
How going online improved midwife and peer support for Eritrean refugee women
Vulnerable migrant groups in the Netherlands have higher-than-average rates of pregnancy and birth-related complications and maternal and infant mortality. Centering Pregnancy offers a group care model in which up to… Read more
Campaign encourages parents to create “magic moments” with their children
Every moment in the lives of busy parents and their children can become an enjoyable, meaningful and memorable moment. That’s the message of the Magic Moments campaign in Israel, which… Read more
Urban95 Challenge brings new ideas to improve cities for young children
In 2016 we launched the Urban95 Challenge – a call for ideas for practical, small-scale projects to improve urban livability for babies, toddlers and the people who care for them. Read more