J.K. Rowling founded Lumos to help end the institutionalisation of children.
The organisation began in 2005 as the Children’s High Level Group, created with politician Emma Nicholson. It later adopted the name Lumos, drawn 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 who may be separated from families because of poverty, disability, discrimination, or inadequate social services. Its work includes research, advocacy, and support for changes in child-protection systems. The organisation argues that growing up in family settings generally offers children better long-term care and development than institutional environments.
The charity’s name is sometimes confused with Rowling’s fictional spell, but Lumos is a real organisation with humanitarian and policy goals. Its founding reflects Rowling’s wider charitable activities beyond literary publishing.