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.

Annual Report 2017

Cover_Annual Report 2017

The Bernard van Leer Foundation's Annual Report 2017 contains a foreword from the Chair of the Board of Trustees, message from the Executive Director, selected updates from around the world… Read more

The buried seed - How Nicaragua came to have one of the most progressive early childhood learning policies on the planet

Historical case Nicaragua: The buried seed

The Bernard van Leer Foundation worked in Nicaragua during a period (1981 to 2008) of major political upheavals, which necessitated change in how we approached our aim of building local… Read more

Cuna Más: Peru’s early childhood programme struggles to maintain quality as it scales up

The first part of a two-part case study looking at Peru’s early childhood development programme Cuna Más, launched in 2012 with the aim of improving the cognitive and emotional development… Read more

How dashboards can help cities improve early childhood development

How dashboards can help cities improve early childhood development

Data dashboards can help cities to set priorities, monitor progress, encourage collaboration, inform decisions, increase accountability, and strengthen the voices of children. Based on interviews with experts and practitioners, this… Read more

Building Better Cities with Young Children and Families

Building Better Cities with Young Children and Families - Bernard van Leer Foundation

For the most part, the voices of young children, their parents and caregivers, and pregnant women have been underrepresented in traditional city building processes and overall civic engagement strategies. Using… Read more

Supporting the Early Childhood Workforce at Scale: The Cuna Más Home Visiting Program in Peru

Supporting the early childhood workforce at scale: The Cuna Más home visiting program in Peru - Bernard van Leer Foundation

Home visiting interventions can impact children’s development with long-term health, education, and social benefits. Home visitors – be they professionals, paraprofessionals, or volunteers – must be highly prepared and well… Read more

Early Childhood Matters 2017

Early Childhood Matters 2017

This latest edition of the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s journal showcases advances in early childhood development, bringing new ideas from around the world and exploring the challenges of scaling up. Read more

Annual Report 2016

The Bernard van Leer Foundation's Annual Report for 2016 shares highlights from the last year, including stories from Tel Aviv, Bhubaneshwar and the Amazon basin. It explores the new strategic… Read more

Compendium of Best Practices of Child Friendly Cities 2017

Compendium of Best Practices of Child Friendly Cities 2017

This publication showcases examples of ways to make cities friendlier for children and youth, with initiatives drawn from various sources: research studies, award lists, newspaper articles and recommendations from a… Read more

Indicators for CHIld-friendly Local Development

As part of the Child-Friendly Smart Cities initiative, currently being implemented by India’s National Institute of Urban Affairs, this publication provides indicators to assess the gaps relating to child development… Read more