Who We Are
The Children's High Level Group (CHLG) was founded in 2005 by author JK Rowling and MEP Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne. Its aim is to improve the welfare of vulnerable children across Europe, operating both politically and practically to build capacity at a country level.
CHLG activities focus on health, education and welfare.
As well as deploying teams to work on the ground, CHLG works closely with governments and officials on wider policy issues such as de-institutionalisation and child welfare. It also works proactively to promote the positive changes in child welfare that are now taking place.
Can the Children's High Level Group really make a difference?
As well as offering practical support we are working with the highest ranking officials and decision makers within the countries we are targeting. We have found that this is the most effective way to bring about change.
In Romania we are already seeing improvements. Around 22,000 Romanian children have been returned to family-based care in the past four years, with over half of this number returning to their parents or relatives.
A change in the law in Romania means it is now not possible to institutionalise children under two years old.
There is still a great deal of work to be done, but the changes that have already taken in place, in a relatively short space of time, give us hope for the future and provide inspiration for other European countries where the maltreatment of children is still taking place.
What sort of things is the charity doing to improve the child welfare situation in these countries?
The CHLG runs The Children's Voice campaign, a consumer-facing campaign that aims to make life better for young people in care, across Eastern Europe and ultimately across the whole of the modern world. It aims to inspire the public to help change the lives of children throughout Europe through fundraising and public opinion.
Through The Children's Voice, the CHLG runs many initiatives which help make progress for children in care, such as Community Action, an education programme that aims to break down social prejudices and help children in public care feel part of their community.
Other initiatives The Children's Voice campaign funds include the Edelweiss competition, a national talent competition for children in placement centres in Romania; and the Green Line, a phone service for children in need
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