The University of Leeds and Hope and Homes For Children KTP 24_25 R1

More than 5.4 million children worldwide are growing up in institutions—orphanages, children’s homes, and residential care—rather than in families. This project will build a practical accountability toolkit that governments and aid organisations can use at scale to track and reduce the harm caused by institutionalisation. Research consistently shows that children raised in institutions suffer lasting damage to their cognitive, emotional, and social development. Yet many countries lack the tools to monitor the problem or shift resources toward family-based care. The toolkit will be developed through a partnership between the University of Leeds and Hope and Homes for Children, a charity that works to end institutional care. It will also create new employment and revenue opportunities for UK organisations that support children in care, by establishing a standardised framework they can adopt and sell internationally. If successful, the toolkit could help transform how governments and NGOs address child welfare—replacing a system that quietly harms millions with one that prioritises family environments. The project is applied and policy-focused, not fundamental science, but its impact depends on rigorous testing and real-world implementation.