Children's Institute projects are aimed at research, advocacy, policy development and/or education. Project selection is guided by four focal areas critical to children's well-being:
- Child rights
- Child poverty
- Child health services
- HIV/AIDS
Staff from different disciplines work collaboratively on most major projects, some of which cuts across two or more focal areas. While self-initated projects make up the bulk of activities, government tenders and other commissions to the Children’s Institute have increased over the years. These are also included in the project listing on these pages.