One year on from the Global Charter on Children's Care Reform

100 years ago this month, parliament passed the Adoption of Children Act, a law that has changed countless lives – mine included.

Because nearly a century later, it helped me and my wife adopt our beautiful daughter. Alongside having our two boys, it’s the best thing we’ve ever done.

The joy she brought into our lives is impossible to measure. She completes our family. And we were privileged to be able to give her what every child deserves: a loving, stable home.

Sadly, many children don’t get that chance.

Today, more than five million around the world are growing up in institutions. We call these places orphanages, but most of the children living there aren’t orphans at all. They have parents. And they are separated not because it’s right for them, but because of grinding poverty, the horror of war, attitudes towards disability, and a lack of support.

But these places aren’t family homes. Decades of research show what happens when children grow up without consistent love and care. It can cause a lifetime of damage – from growth problems and learning difficulties, to not being able to hold down healthy relationships.

Most children end up in these institutions not because their parents don’t care, but because the support just isn’t there for them. That’s something we can fix.

It’s why, a year ago, along with my friend, the actor Barry Keoghan, I launched a global campaign with a simple aim: to make sure every child grows up in a safe, nurturing family – and eventually move away from the use of institutions altogether.

Barry has spoken bravely about his own childhood in care, and he knows how much the right support – or the lack of it – can shape a life.

Since then, more than 30 countries, and over 100 organisations have signed our new Global Charter, recognising the worldwide scale of the problem and committing to change it.

Later this month, that commitment turns into action. Partners from around the world will convene here in the UK, at the first meeting of its kind, to agree to reform systems, strengthen families, and invest in services that keep children safe and loved at home.

And this isn’t just a global mission. It’s something we’re acting on here, too.

In the UK, we’re stepping in earlier – before families reach breaking point. Through this Government’s new Families First Partnership programme, backed by a huge £2.4 billion investment, we’re helping parents get support sooner, so more children can stay safely with the people who love them.

We’re also changing the law to strengthen ways to keep families together and children safe by making sure local authorities, schools, early years and all services work better together to protect them.

At the meeting later this month, we’ll plant a tree to mark one year of this global campaign. It’s a reminder that real change takes time, care and commitment – the very things children need most.

We’ve planted the roots, now we must grow a future where all children have the chance to thrive in a loving family.

Each morning, I’m reminded of that when my daughter bounds downstairs, ready to take on the day.

Every child deserves this ordinary start in life. But for too many children around the world, it seems like something extraordinary. Together – we can change that.