NGOs and/or cooperatives constitute most of the founding partners of the foundation: North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA; North America), Reggio Emilia Institutet (Sweden), Red Solare Argentina, Cooperativa Italiana di Ristorazione (CIR; Italy), Cooperativa Sociale Coopselios (Italy), and Fondazione Manodori (Italy).

[5] Other partners are EFFE 2005 Gruppo Feltrinelli S.p.A., a private holding company for laeffe (an Italian television channel owned by the Feltrinelli media group), and the municipal/city council of Reggio Emilia (Comune di Reggio Emilia).

In 1991 Newsweek recognized Reggio Emilia's Municipality preschools as the “most beautiful in the world” for their pedagogy, amongst the most advanced at international level.

In 1994 Reggio Children Srl was established as an affiliate company of the Municipality with a large shareholder group, and the Friends of Reggio Children International Association was founded thanks to the participation of the volunteers supporting it.

In 2017 Pause – Atelier dei sapori Srl became an affiliate company of Fondazione Reggio Children, which is its sole shareholder.