J.K. Rowling established Lumos to help end the institutionalisation of children.
Rowling founded the organization in 2005 as the Children’s High Level Group with the politician and children’s-rights advocate Emma Nicholson. It was later renamed Lumos, taking its name from the light-producing spell in the Harry Potter books. The charity works internationally to replace large residential institutions with family- and community-based care.
Lumos focuses on children separated from families because of poverty, disability, discrimination, or inadequate social services. Its work includes research, advocacy, and support for reforms intended to keep children safely within families or suitable community settings. The organization’s mission is broader than providing books or school materials.
The name can cause confusion because Lumos is also a magical spell in the Harry Potter universe. In the charity’s case, the word is a metaphor for bringing children out of harmful or hidden systems and toward safer care. The organization remains separate from Rowling’s fictional publishing companies.