J.K. Rowling established Lumos in 2005 to support vulnerable children and families.
The organization was originally launched as the Children’s High Level Group, a charity focused on improving the lives of children living in institutions. It was renamed Lumos in 2010. The name refers to the light-producing spell in the Harry Potter books, while the charity’s real-world work concerns child protection and family-based care.
Lumos campaigns against the unnecessary institutionalization of children. It advocates systems that keep children safely with families or place them in appropriate community-based care when family care is impossible. Its work has included research, policy advocacy, and support for reforms in several countries.
The charity’s mission is sometimes confused with Rowling’s other philanthropic activities, including work connected with multiple sclerosis and the Volant Charitable Trust. Lumos is specifically associated with children separated from families and with replacing harmful institutional care with family and community support.