The charity founded by J.K. Rowling to help end institutional care for children is Lumos.
Rowling founded the organization in 2005 as the Children’s High Level Group after reading about children living in institutions. Its work focuses on replacing large residential institutions with family- and community-based care. The organization was renamed Lumos in 2010.
The name Lumos comes from the Latin word for light and is also familiar to Harry Potter readers as the name of a wand-lighting spell. The charity’s work, however, concerns child protection and social care rather than the fictional wizarding world.
Lumos has worked internationally on reforming systems that separate children from families. It emphasizes family reunification, foster care, adoption where appropriate, and community services intended to keep children safe without institutionalization.