J.K. Rowling established Lumos to support children separated from their families.
The organization was founded in 2005 under the name Children’s High Level Group. Rowling became involved after reading a newspaper article about children living in institutions, and the group worked to improve conditions and promote family-based care.
The charity was renamed Lumos in 2010. Its name refers to the light-producing spell in the Harry Potter books, although its work is focused on real-world child welfare rather than fiction. Lumos campaigns against the unnecessary institutionalization of children and supports systems that keep children with families or in family-like settings.
The organization operates internationally and has worked with governments, professionals, communities, and families. Its central argument is that children generally develop better in safe family environments than in large residential institutions. Lumos is therefore distinct from Rowling’s literary projects and from charities connected with the Harry Potter brand.