Publications & Reports
Browse editions of our journal, Early Childhood Matters, and our Early Childhood in Focus series, along with other selected publications and reports. All are free to download or read online.
Playing it safe? - A global white paper on risk, liability and children’s play in public space
Available data suggests that playgrounds are comparatively safe places – yet, in many countries, concerns about potential liability for injury have led to bureaucratic risk reduction initiatives that might not… Read more
Small but mighty - The incredible story of the women who made sure Guatemala’s educational system didn’t leave the nation’s indigenous children behind
This case looks back at the Foundation’s funding for APPEDIBIMI (the Association for Holistic and Multidisciplinary Development) between 1990 and 2008, and its work to improve the prospects of children… Read more
Behind the scenes - From universities to state schools: the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s far-reaching impact on learning
Two distinct stories emerged from El Salvador when we asked Jean Friedman-Rudovsky to look back on our involvement in the country between the late 1980s and phasing out in 2008. Read more
Violence, breaking the cycle - How one of the world’s most dangerous nations stops brutality from spreading
It was in the late 1980s that the Bernard van Leer Foundation began to explore working in El Salvador, primarily as part of our broader Latin American approach to build… Read more
Roots of change - How a Guatemalan grassroots women’s organisation creates holistic child-centred communities, one neighbourhood at a time
From 1990 to 2008, the Bernard van Leer Foundation funded FUNDAESPRO (Fundación Esfuerzo y Prosperidad, or Strength and Prosperity Foundation), a grassroots women’s organisation in Guatemala City. Our involvement started… Read more
Comparative Global Study of Urban Spaces to Support Parents
How can designated spaces for parents and children be established within existing municipal infrastructure such as community centres? What needs should these spaces focus on meeting? What services and programmes… Read more
Building on Islamic values - A fundamental shift in Moroccan early childhood education
The Bernard van Leer Foundation’s involvement in Morocco ran from 1981 to 2008. The story revolves around one key individual – a thought leader and influencer who was the linchpin… Read more
Emerging Early Childhood Inequality: On the Relationship Between Poverty, Sensory Stimulation, Child Development, and Achievement
Funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, this literature review illuminates how economic inequality affects educational achievement – in general and specifically in Israel, where economic and academic inequalities are… Read more
Early Childhood Matters 2018
The 2018 edition of Early Childhood Matters features keynote contributions from the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, on the ‘De Cero a Siempre’ policy; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General… Read more
Mothers of Rotterdam: scaling a social services programme in the Netherlands
This case study looks at how Mothers of Rotterdam, a social service programme based in the Netherlands and founded by a charismatic venture philanthropist, approached the challenge of growing and… Read more