Van Leer Foundation

Early Childhood Matters 2025 is out now 📣 We know that a good start for babies and toddlers shapes the rest of their lives – but what do parents and other caregivers need for a #GoodStart? #ECM2025 offers compelling research, bold ideas and inspiring reflections from programmes supporting parents in the early years worldwide. This year’s edition explores three themes: ◀️ Understanding human connection: Evidenced insights on parental wellbeing from science and cultural practices ▶️ Rebuilding villages of care: Practical ways of recreating community networks that support caregivers and families 🔽 Collective approaches to healing: Ideas and initiatives from around the world that show us how to help parents manage the impact of war/trauma Featuring leaders across disciplines, their combined perspectives show that every sector has a role to play in caring for mothers, fathers and other caregivers. Discover online now: bit.ly/ECM2025-online #EarlyChildhoodMatters #WhatParentsNeed #ListenToParents

What if we planned cities from 95cm — the height of a 3-year-old? 🧒 Our teams, in partnership with the Van Leer Foundation, have been shifting how we prioritize young children and their caregivers in cities. Through the Urban95 program, we’re supporting city-makers with data-driven strategies and tools to promote public space usage by young children. 🤸 From the Urban95 Public Life app to a toolkit to understand behavior and sensory experiences of children and tailored masterclasses, this collaboration is helping city leaders create more inclusive, playful, and nurturing urban environments for the next generation. Because when cities work for children, they work for everyone. 💛 Read more about the project here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g3x8nghD Rushda Majeed, Victoria Chavez, Michael Feigelson #gehl #citiesforpeople #citiesforchildren #publicspace #publiclife #urbanism #urbandesign

📢 Timely new insights brief on why housing matters for families with young children, as city leaders, urbanists and others who care about early childhood gather at the #StartWithChildren Summit in Bratislava today, a conference dedicated to building better cities for children and families. Authored by award-winning urban researcher Tayo Isa Daniel, the brief sets out to define how housing can support a good start for children and parents. 🏡 It makes the case for reframing housing as an investment in societal health – a pathway for generational flourishing. 🏡 It highlights why and how a range of stakeholders can embrace family-oriented approaches to housing policy, design and development. 🏡 It warns that neglecting the importance of the early years in housing policy can perpetuate intergenerational cycles of inequality. Read the full brief: https://lnkd.in/eGSnnrrR 👋 If you're at the #BratislavaSummit, you can connect with Van Leer CEO Michael Feigelson, who will join the Mayor of Bratislava Matúš Vallo for a conversation on what it means to build cities that truly start with children & Van Leer #Urban95 Expert Victoria Chavez, who will be moderating a discussion around #GoodHousing for a #GoodStart. AtkinsRéalis Andrea Torres Sansotta Hannah Rothschild Irina Ivan-van der Kwaak Estúdio+1 Ana Claudia Espinoza Fernandez LSE Cities Savvas Verdis Neighborhood Lab Ofri Earon Amanda Burden Dinah Bornat Megan Sandel Bloomberg Philanthropies ZCD Architects Boston Medical Center (BMC)

At the National Early Childhood Development Conference in #Jordan this week – under the patronage of the Prime Minister – 200+ participants from government, academia, civil society and frontline practitioners gathered to advance the #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment agenda. With 40+ speakers, the Conference included regional and international experts from the #UAE, #India, #Brazil, #Colombia, and the #Netherlands. Sessions on #Urban95 and family-friendly cities showed how inclusive, well-planned cities can support the wellbeing of children and caregivers. For example, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority is encouraging families to connect by designing public spaces that make them want to play. And the results speak for themselves: 🟩 3x more children using the space 🟢 Less screen time, more face time 🟩 Stronger connections between families & neighbours Thoughtful urban design can transform neighbourhoods into places where people meet and interact. And that’s true in #AbuDhabi, #Amman and beyond. 📖 Learn more about Majlisna #ECM2025. https://lnkd.in/dXEezMVP Sana Mohammad Suhail Cecilia Vaca Jones Farah Maher Jadallah Alia Mjally Alrawashdeh Reham Sbaih Rushda Majeed Victoria Chavez Andrea Torres Sansotta Hannah Rothschild Mariam Issoufou Architects Noor Korabi National Council For Family Affairs (NCFA)

Take a walk around #Amman with 18-month-old Taleen and her Mama, who make their way through the city to the iconic Hashemite Plaza, also home to a first-of-its-kind pop-up play event: https://lnkd.in/ez4N_K3H Across Jordan, our partners have been creating public space interventions that are inspiring hundreds of children and their families to play. From pop-up adventure play events, like the one you see in the image below, to "Safe Streets for Families", the significance of these urban interventions is seen in the joy they create. During Jordan's National Conference on Early Childhood Development & Education, commencing tomorrow, urban experts, city leaders and key decisionmakers will discuss how urban planning can create safe, inclusive, and stimulating environments for young children and their caregivers. #ConferenceCountdown #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #ECDE National Council For Family Affairs (NCFA) Farah Maher Jadallah Alia Mjally Alrawashdeh Rushda Majeed Victoria Chavez Andrea Torres Sansotta SUPERPOOL POP-UP ADVENTURE PLAY INC Zaha Cultural Center مركز زها الثقافي Greater Amman Municipality Jacob Krupnick Hannah Rothschild Reham Sbaih Selva Gurdogan

Tomorrow, prominent leaders across government, civil society and philanthropy will gather at the National Conference on Early Childhood Development & Education in #Jordan. Innovative approaches to supporting young children and families in challenging contexts will be presented and discussed, including the #BeThere programme from War Child, which offers critical support for the psychosocial wellbeing of caregivers impacted by war looking after children from birth to age 12. "When caregivers feel supported, valued and respected, it also enables them to create a calmer home environment that’s conducive to their children’s learning and development needs". Learn more ℹ️ https://lnkd.in/eWsrWPqr 📸 Alexis Camejo, taken during the filming of the Young Explorers in #Irbid #ConferenceCountdown #WhatParentsNeed #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment National Council For Family Affairs (NCFA) Farah Maher Jadallah Alia Mjally Alrawashdeh Reham Sbaih Mark Jordans Laura Miller Marianne Abboud Mohammad Awamreh Andrés Moya areej hijjawi Tahfeez تحفيز Tanmoy Goswami Rushda Majeed Andrea Torres Sansotta Elvira Thissen Hannah Rothschild

It’s incredible to see how this space in #Irbid, #Jordan, has been transformed from a little-used area into a vibrant family hub. This transformation was made possible through the vision of Irbid’s municipal team, in collaboration with local caregivers, NGOs and city officials, and with support from the Van Leer Foundation’s #Urban95 programme. The Family Hub reimagines parks as community-centred spaces where children and caregivers can thrive. But the hubs are more than just playgrounds. They’re specially designed to support early childhood development and strengthen family connections. Next week at Jordan's National Early Childhood Conference, Eng. Qasem Al Rousan, ECD Unit Director, will share the success story of the #FamilyHubs in Irbid. Discover more in #ECM2025, where Muhsen Albawab and Qasem Al Rousan explain how they made the Family Hub work, sharing lessons they learnt along the way: ✅ Smart design: Shaded seating, accessible pathways and sensory play areas create safe, welcoming environments ✅ Community collaboration: Caregivers, local NGOs and city officials worked together to shape these spaces to meet the real needs of families https://lnkd.in/eYrKz6jC #ConferenceCountdown #JordanECD #ListeningToParents Farah Maher Jadallah Alia Mjally Alrawashdeh Reham Sbaih Majlisna - Civic Jordan Rushda Majeed Victoria Chavez Hannah Rothschild Michael Feigelson Andrea Torres Sansotta

📣 MEL Consultancy Opportunity in the Netherlands 📣 We are recruiting a freelancer or consultant to support our portfolio team in the Netherlands with #Monitoring, #Evaluation and #Learning activities. We are looking for a MEL partner who is excited to connect our global MEL system to our Dutch impact goals and support our partners in making their impact tangible. Key info: 🟡 Fluency in Dutch and English is required 🟡 Starting date between 1 July and 1 September 2025 (12-month contract with intention to continue)    🟡 Time commitment: 12-16 hours a week Read the Terms of Reference below & apply by 28 May 📅 Dominique Bovens Lisette de Gelder Jolanda De Haan Agnita Twigt Agnes Buis Blanca R. Bojan Pavlovic

“Creating lasting change in #Jordan means making early childhood development a national priority,” says Farah Maher Jadallah, Jordan Representative for the Van Leer Foundation With the National Conference on Early Childhood Development & Education next week, Farah shares her experiences of uniting leaders across government ministries and civil society organisations by elevating early childhood development as a national priority. Her work has helped solidify early childhood as a central pillar in Jordan’s Economic Modernisation Vision. We spoke with Farah to capture her insights on cross-sectoral collaboration and how leadership at both national and local levels helps young children and communities flourish. Read and learn more here 📗 https://lnkd.in/eweTFaUe Alia Mjally Alrawashdeh Reham Sbaih Rushda Majeed Andrea Torres Sansotta Michael Feigelson Hannah Rothschild Victoria Chavez National Council For Family Affairs (NCFA) Majlisna - Civic Jordan Zaha Cultural Center مركز زها الثقافي Queen Rania Foundation War Child The Royal Health Awareness Society الجمعية الملكية للتوعية الصحية SUPERPOOL

#fundingopportunity 📢 The Moving Minds Alliance is calling for stories pitch from journalists covering child rights and humanitarian beats in 30 REACH Network focus countries: Sudan, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria, South Sudan, Lebanon, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Venezuela, Chad, Honduras, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Jordan, Nepal, and India. Are you a journalist from one of the countries listed above, passionate about highlighting neglected humanitarian crises affecting children? We invite you to submit a brief pitch for your investigative story and apply for up to $500 to offset associated costs. 🗓 Application Deadline: Wednesday, 30th April 2025 The Reporters for Early Age Children in Humanitarian crisis (REACH) Network is a global movement of reporters dedicated to advocating for improved care and support for young children and their caregivers in emergencies, displacement, and conflict settings through their reporting. REACH is a concept of the Moving Minds Alliance. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e7gXRz-7 Download the Terms of Reference: https://lnkd.in/ebhs_TNK Submit your pitch:  https://lnkd.in/enQH6zM3 We strongly encourage journalists with lived experience of conflict and displacement to apply. #JournalismOpportunities #REACHNetwork #ECDinCrisis