Anita Roddick sparked the beginnings of Children on the Edge in 1990, in response to the Romanian Orphanage Crisis. After witnessing the appalling conditions in Romanian orphanages first hand, Anita mobilised her company, The Body Shop International, to help these children. Initially, this involved helping three orphanages in the small village of Halaucesti in the Iasi district of Romania.

By 1992, the team had developed considerable expertise in working with institutionalized children. This prompted the organisation to expand its work into Albania. 

By 1994, it developed into Bosnia and it became clear that the organisation was working primarily with vulnerable children, in particular those without parental care. It was then that Rachel Bentley co-founded Children on the Edge. 

In 1999, thousands of Kosovan Refugees arrived in the town of Korce, Southern Albania where Children on the Edge was working. The organisation became involved in the relief effort, developing the skills necessary to work with refugees. The same year, Children on the Edge expanded into Kosovo to help rebuild the schools and communities devastated by conflict.

Working with the children of Kosovo developed the organisation’s expertise to include children in post conflict situations. In 2000 Children on the Edge was invited by UNICEF to work with traumatised children and youth in Timor-Leste and in 2004 when an earthquake and tsunami hit Indonesia, Children on the Edge utilized their skills in the area most devastated by the disaster.

Since then, Children on the Edge has expanded its reach to include working with children who have escaped ethnic cleansing in Burma as: migrants, refugees and IDPs (internally displaced people).  Most recently, the organisation has started work in a new continent, Africa, where the majority of children without parental care live.

Originally part of The Body Shop Foundation, Children on the Edge became an independently registered charity in 2004. Growing up in a corporate environment has enabled Children on the Edge to develop lasting relationships with other businesses and corporations, including: Esprit, Jobsite, Luminar Leisure Ltd, and Montezuma’s.

The charity is in the process of registering independently in countries with active programmes. This will allow Children on the Edge to develop fundraising and expand operations in the countries where the charity works. 

1990             
After Anita Roddick visited Romania, The Body Shop undertook work helping children within three orphanages. This was achieved through staff training, play and socialisation programmes and integrating children back into community life.  At this time we were ‘The Body Shop Romania Relief Appeal’.

1992            
Having developed expertise in programmes of deinstitutionalisation for children we were invited by VSO and the Albanian Ministry of Health to develop work in Albania. We were re-named The Body Shop Eastern Europe Relief Drive and became part of The Body Shop Foundation.

1994             
This year we developed this work into Bosnia and by this point had built up considerable expertise working with children without parental care. The organisation Children on the Edge was co-founded in this year by our current director Rachel Bentley.

1996
Programme set up in Romania to support teenagers leaving residential care.

1997
Graduate programme established in Romania to offer residential rehabilitative care for teenagers leaving residential care.

1999
In this year we provided mobile sanitation and clinic facilities in Albania for refugees from the Kosovan crisis and were responsible for the repatriation of vulnerable refugees back to Kosovo.

2000
Rebuilt School in Kosovo, in Cabra village which was completely destroyed during Kosovan crisis. This led to investor confidence which led to regeneration of the entire village. 

2001
Having built up considerable experience in Europe of working with post-conflict Children we were invited by UNICEF to implement a Child Friendly Space in Viqueque, East Timor.

2002
Refurbished three schools in Kosovo, established Semi Independent Living Apartments for orphans in Romania, opened Special Needs Day-care centre in Romania to help prevent Special Needs children being abandoned to state institutions.

2003
Opened second Special Needs Day-care centre in Romania and funded the Speranta Special Needs Day-care centre in Moldova.

2004
The Goruni Farm Project was established in Romania to help reintegrate teenagers from residential care into society. In this year Children on the Edge independently registered as a charity in its own right.

2005
Established a Child and Community Centre  in Aceh, Indonesia helping children and their community rebuild their lives after the traumas of the Asian Tsunami.

2006
Started work on the Thai/Burma border, helping Burmese refugees and migrants fleeing persecution from a brutal military regime within their homeland.

2007             
Started support of Ei Htu Hta Refugee camp nurseries in Burma and established Child and Community Centre in Moldova.

2008
Helped child victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma and provided Cross Border Aid for victims of the famine in Chin State, Burma.

Also in this year we began supporting:
-       Apartment Schools in Malaysia
-       Scholarships for Burmese refugee children in India
-       KWO in developing standards of care in Thai Boarding Houses

2009
First trip to Bangladesh to help the plight of Rohingya refugee children from Burma.  Began support for 3 Learning Centres for Working Children.

2010
Started supporting Sports and Education Programme for vulnerable children in the slums of Port au Prince, Haiti following the earthquake.