J.K. Rowling founded Lumos to help vulnerable children around the world. The organization works to end the institutionalization of children and support family- and community-based care.
Rowling established the Children’s High Level Group in 2005 after learning about children living in institutions in Eastern Europe. The organization later became Lumos in 2010. Its name refers to the light-producing spell in the Harry Potter stories, giving the charity a connection to Rowling’s fiction while reflecting its focus on bringing children out of institutions.
Lumos argues that children generally do better when they grow up in safe families or family-like community settings rather than large residential institutions. Its programs have addressed child protection, family support, health, education, and policy reform. It is distinct from Comic Relief and Save the Children, which are separate charities with broader or different missions.