The charity founded by J.K. Rowling to help institutionalised children is Lumos.
Rowling established the organisation in 2005 as the Children’s High Level Group, after becoming concerned about children living in institutions and orphanages. It was later renamed Lumos, taking its name from the light-producing spell in the Harry Potter books. The charity works to support family-based care and the reform of systems that separate children from their families.
Lumos focuses internationally on children who may be placed in orphanages or residential institutions because of poverty, disability, or inadequate social services. Its work promotes community support, family reunification where possible, and alternatives to institutional care.
Lumos is sometimes confused with charities connected to Rowling’s book sales, but it is a distinct organisation. The name does not describe a Harry Potter character or a Hogwarts house. It links a fictional word associated with light to the charity’s aim of improving children’s lives and making hidden institutional problems more visible.