Dear Friends of Lumos,

2024 has been a year of challenge for people everywhere, coping with conflict, impacts of the climate crisis, higher costs-of-living and political change.

Despite the difficult context, and working with and through our local, national and global partners, Lumos has continued to make progress in reforming children’s care and protection systems around the world - ensuring that more children grow up in safe and loving families and not in institutions. Selected highlights include:

• Colombia, where we have put the voice of young people at the heart of care reform and are working with the government to pilot and replicate our model of transformation, re-integrating thousands of children in care back into their families.

• Kenya, where we are supporting the nationwide roll-out of a care reform programme successfully trialled in Embu County, with the potential to transform the lives of over 44,000 children currently living in institutions.

• Moldova and Ukraine, where our support for children separated from their families has provided essential education, humanitarian support and mental health services to thousands of displaced children and families living in extraordinarily difficult conditions.

• Globally, Lumos collaborates across sectors and geographies to shift systems to positively impact children at scale. We convene partners at the intersection of childcare, disability, education and violence against children. This year, we co-convened partners at the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children to successfully influence unprecedented national commitments to prevent violence, strengthen families and reform childcare and child protection systems.

Through all of our programmes we empower and support some of the most marginalised children, families and other excluded groups. We ensure inclusion of children in education and prevent the separation of children through family strengthening and foster care initiatives.

None of our impact for children would be possible without your support and collaboration, for which we are very grateful.

Next year, Lumos will celebrate its 20th Anniversary. As we head towards this milestone year we are reflective about our journey, impact and learning. We are driven by what remains to be done with and for children. We are motivated by the progress we see is possible. And we are energised by an ambitious new strategy and approach that will transform the lives of many more vulnerable children, making sure that they grow up in families, not institutions.

If you would like to support more life-changing work in the new year, you can make a donation to Lumos.

With thanks and best wishes for the holiday season and the New Year.

Howard Taylor

Chief Executive Officer, Lumos