The Netherlands
Active since 1949
The Van Leer Foundation has been active in the Netherlands since 1949. Our work focuses on supporting families to improve their children’s life chances and close the gap in development, health and education outcomes, where around 15% of families face serious challenges in being able to give their children a strong start in life.
We aim to improve the wellbeing of children and parents through enhanced access to health and education services for the first 1,000 days and improved urban living environments. We also focus on empowering leaders advocating for inclusivity by providing a platform to amplify their voices and share knowledge across society.
We support the national and international scale up of the “green and blue schoolyards” model of IVN, first developed in Rotterdam. This initiative addresses child-friendliness and climate adaptation agendas through a common solution: green instead of concrete schoolyards. The programme transforms schoolyards into nature-rich playgrounds that contribute to healthy child development, climate adaptation and community health. The green and blue outdoor area can be used as a classroom, where children familiarise themselves with nature and the climate at an early age in a playful, natural way. They are also open to the community outside of school hours, so they benefit families in disadvantaged neighbourhoods where green public space is sparse.
Our portfolio focuses on three core themes: health and education, Urban95 (Dutch style), and innovation for future generations.
Looking at health and education at scale, we advocate for and support the implementation of large-scale health and education policies for young children and parents, including the national and local improvement of collaboration between early years professionals (Solid Start) and on universal access to high quality childcare.
Through Urban95 Dutch Style, we partner with developers, municipalities, NGOs and parent initiatives to improve the wellbeing of young children and parents in dense urban environments, with limited access to safe, green, and spacious play areas. We bring change by reallocating existing spaces, creating new green play spaces and improving our understanding of the needs of young parents in the first 1,000 days while renovating urban neighbourhoods.
As part of innovation for future generations, we partner with innovators in health, technology, and community participation who aim to improve the wellbeing of parents. We support initiatives and add a research component, so that they can be scaled when proven successful. We challenge ourselves through new ways of grant-making and create new pathways of norm and behaviour change by signalling Dutch challenges and relevant demographic changes.
Case
10 design elements help women to make informed breastfeeding decisions
Case
Helping municipalities to deliver joined-up services
Management case studies
Mothers of Rotterdam: Scaling a Social Services Programme in the Netherlands
Virtual Tour
Green and Blue Schoolyard Virtual Tour
Management case studies
A Solid Start for Every Child: The Netherlands Integrates Medical and Social Care, 2009−2022
Management case studies
Efforts to Support the Extension of Birth Leave in the Netherlands
