Global Children’s Initiative: Centre on the Developing Child: Harvard University

Every Child Matters Education Fund 

Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)
A pioneering, interdisciplinary research partnership that is directing a world-leading contribution to new understanding and approaches to early child development. HELP is a network of faculty, researchers and graduate students from six BC universities (UBC Vancouver, UBC Okanagan, UVic, SFU, UNBC, and TWU). HELP facilitates the creation of new knowledge in human early learning and child development, and helps apply this knowledge in the community by working directly with government and communities.
Grand Challenges: Saving Brains
Good Apples » Canadian Government Sponsors Saving Brains Initiative
October 29, 2012
Grand Challenges Canada, a government organization that focuses on global health in the developing world, has initiated 11 new research projects to investigate and foster cognitive development around the globe. The program is called the Saving Brains Initiative. The Canadian government has invested CAD 11.8 million (around US$12 million) in the cause, backing the effort for at least two years.

The Saving Brains program is divided into two causes. The first seeks to “determine the economic impact of poverty-related risk factors for cognitive development and human capital.” In other words, the monetary impact of inhibited mental development will be analyzed. The second aims to “identify early life interventions that promote the fulfillment of human capital.” This cause will focus on the first thousand days of brain development and analyze its impact in the long-term.

Peter Singer, the chief executive of Grand Challenges Canada, stated in an interview  with SciDev.net, “An opportunity to develop brain development is an opportunity to develop a child and a developed child will maximise his/her potential for a country’s development.”

According to the website, 200 million children fail to reach their full cognitive potential because of a whole host of factors: “malnutrition, infection, poor management of pregnancy, birth complications, and lack of stimulation and nurturing–in the first thousand days (from conception to 2 years of age).”
The Early Development Instrument: Benefits to Children, Families and Communities

United Nations Girls Education Initiative

Project Kids Worldwide 

World Education
Dedicated to improving the lives of the poor through education, and economic and social development programs. World Education is well known for its work around the globe in environmental education, community development, maternal and child health, school governance, integrated literacy, small enterprise development, HIV and AIDS education and prevention and care, and refugee training. World Education also works to strengthen literacy and adult basic education programs in the United States. Projects are designed to contribute to individual growth, as well as to community and national development.
Cuna Mas National Program
The National Cot More Program is a social program targeted by the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS), which aims to improve child development of children under 3 years of age in areas of poverty and extreme poverty, to overcome gaps in their cognitive, social, physical and emotional development.
In Peru, the Fight Against Poverty Starts Early
From www.opensocietyfoundations.org 
Quality early childhood programs have been shown to reduce inequality, counteracting the effects of discrimination and poverty. In Peru, the Cuna Mas program is attempting to do just that.