The charity founded by J.K. Rowling in 2005 to campaign for children’s institutional care reform is Lumos.
Rowling established the organization originally as the Children’s High Level Group with politician Emma Nicholson. Its work focused on children living in institutions, orphanages, and other forms of segregated care. The group argued that children generally develop better when they receive support in families or community-based settings rather than growing up in large residential institutions.
The organization was renamed Lumos in 2010. The name refers to the Latin word for “light” and also recalls the light-producing spell in the Harry Potter stories. Lumos has worked internationally on deinstitutionalization, family support, education, and child protection.
Lumos is separate from Rowling’s charitable trust, Volant, and from Comic Relief, a British charity with which Rowling has also been associated. Its focus is specifically linked to improving systems of care and support for vulnerable children.