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
Democracy in Israeli kindergartens
24-06-2008
The Adam Institute's Building Blocks of Democracy project on introducing democracy to the kindergarten featured recently in a Hebrew-language magazine. An English language translation (pdf) is also available.
A review of early childhood transitions research
17-06-2008
The latest in the foundation's working paper series, Early childhood transitions research: A review of concepts, theory, and practice by Pia Vogler, Gina Crivello and Martin Woodhead is now available.
Video of children at Mercaz Beth Jacob
10-06-2008
This ten-minute video shows children enjoying the facilities at the newly-opened kindergarten of our partner Marcaz Beth Jacob in Israel.
Announcement of interim executive director
05-06-2008
The Board of Trustees is very pleased to announce that Monique van 't Hek will serve as interim Executive Director after Peter Laugharn's departure as Executive Director in July 2008. Ms Van 't Hek, who has broad experience in managing non-profit and international development organisations, has already started working alongside Peter Laugharn in order to ensure a smooth transition. She will head the foundation until January 2009, when a new Executive Director is expected to take the helm.
Subscribe to Children in Europe magazine
02-06-2008
Foundation partner the Maasai AIDS Awareness Programme, which implements the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Care and Support project in the Kaijado district of Kenya, has a new website giving details of their activities.
ECM on the question of quality
01-06-2008
The latest edition of the foundation's journal, Early Childhood Matters, tackles the complex topic of what constitutes quality in early childhood programmes and how such programmes can lay the foundations for quality primary education.
Policy paper from Children in Europe
30-05-2008
Foundation partner Children in Europe has produced a policy paper (pdf) entitled Young children and their services: developing a European approach which aims to stimulate a democratic dialogue about the need for a Europe-wide political approach to services for young children.
Wona Sanana launches new website
27-05-2008
Wona Sanana, a partner of the foundation in Mozambique, has launched a new website.
Early childhood in the Caribbean
21-05-2008
Early childhood in the Caribbean, a new working paper based on research by Christine Barrow, looks at the development and socialisation of children under 5 years of age in two Caribbean countries, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica.
Ultra-Orthodox children visit new kindergarten
16-05-2008
A visit of children from Israeli Ultra-Orthodox communities to the eponymous kindergarten centre of the project A Kindergarten Centre for Charedi Children, implemented by the foundation's partner Mercaz Beth Jacob, was the subject of a detailed description in the Hamodia newspaper of 20 March; read our translation (pdf) into English, and view images of the newly-opened centre (1 - 2 - 3).
