The Martin James Foundation

What The Martin James Foundation does

The Martin James Foundation is a UK-registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity Number: 1179016) founded in 2018 by Jim Cockburn and headquartered in Harborne, Birmingham. It operates as a holding entity for a global network of organisations dedicated to family-based alternative care for children, in opposition to institutional care. Its portfolio comprises six wholly-owned subsidiaries: Key Assets Australia, Key Assets Canada, and Key Assets New Zealand (independent, non-profit fostering agencies delivering direct services under government contract); MJF Global (the international development arm that partners with NGOs and governments on care reform and deinstitutionalisation); FosterTalk (a UK membership support service for foster carers with 18,000+ members); and EPIC Future (a UK programme supporting care-experienced young people into entrepreneurship).

The Foundation executes a three-pillar model of Deliver, Empower, and Influence. Service delivery is concentrated in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand through the Key Assets agencies, which collectively support over 1,000 children in care and 900+ carers annually, with offices spanning six Australian states, three Canadian provinces, and four New Zealand regions. Empowerment is delivered through MJF Global's partnerships with at least ten organisations across 17+ countries including India (Udayan Care), Uganda (Child's i Foundation), Madagascar (FAMadagascar), Nepal (Forget Me Not, Hope and Homes for Children, Himalayan Innovative Society), Indonesia (Harum Family Center), Thailand (One Sky Foundation), and Jordan (Arabian Medical Relief, Hope Centre). Influence is exerted through alliances with UNICEF, the Nippon Foundation, Eurochild, Better Care Network, and Relaf, plus practice publications such as the COVID-19 briefings and the Pathways to Stability therapeutic foster care model.

The Foundation does not operate a proprietary technology stack; its revenue model is charitable donations and government service contracts via the Key Assets subsidiaries. Its operating geographies span the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and project-based presence in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Leadership transitioned in late 2025 with Carolyn Housman replacing founder Jim Cockburn as Chair of the Board of Trustees; Daniel Croft currently serves as CEO, following Justin Rogers's earlier tenure which succeeded founding-CEO-adjacent leader Peter McDermott.

Name

The Martin James Foundation

Legal name

The Martin James Foundation

Website

https://martinjames.foundation

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Martin James Foundation is a UK-registered charity that operates a global network of fostering agencies (Key Assets) and international care-reform partnerships (MJF Global), delivering family-based alternative care services to vulnerable children in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and 15+ partner countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Foster Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Family-based care
• Child welfare programs
• Nonprofit charitable services
• Alternative care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: The Foundation operates as a registered charity (Charity Number: 1179016) funded primarily through donations. The Foundation uses technical and financial resources generated throughout its network of organisations to support global deinstitutionalisation efforts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Martin James Foundation is a UK-registered charity that delivers family-strengthening, foster care, and kinship care services to vulnerable children and families through its wholly-owned Key Assets fostering agencies in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and provides grants, technical assistance, and partnership support to organisations in developing countries through its international arm, MJF Global. The Foundation also runs FosterTalk, a UK membership-based support service for foster carers, and EPIC Future, an entrepreneurship programme for care-experienced young people in the West Midlands.

Product overview

The Martin James Foundation operates a network of interconnected products and services focused on family-based alternative care for children globally. The core portfolio includes Key Assets (independent fostering agencies in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand), MJF Global (international development arm supporting family-based care alternatives), and FosterTalk (UK foster carer support). The Foundation also operates EPIC Future, an entrepreneurial programme for care-experienced youth, and delivers practice guidance through tools like the Pathways to Stability therapeutic foster care model. These products work together to deliver, empower, and influence family-based care globally through direct service delivery, international partnerships, and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Key Assets Fostering Agencies Independent, non-profit fostering agencies operating in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand that deliver charitable services for children, families and communities, including foster care, family-strengthening, kinship care, early intervention programmes (Intensive Family Support and SNAP), and individualised living arrangements (ILAs).
• MJF Global International charitable arm of the Foundation that uses technical and financial resources generated throughout its network to support global deinstitutionalisation efforts. Partners with and invests in organisations in countries where family-based alternative care is not commonly available to develop family strengthening, gatekeeping systems, kinship care, and foster care services.
• FosterTalk UK-based support service for foster carers, providing membership support, counselling, and assistance to over 18,000 members who are foster carers across the United Kingdom.
• EPIC Future Programme that empowers entrepreneurial care-experienced young people in the West Midlands, UK, to launch their own businesses through skills masterclasses, mentoring from sector specialists, and funding for initial startup essentials; has helped over 30 young people launch their business ideas.
• Pathways to Stability Therapeutic Foster Care Model A year-long therapeutic foster care model with wrap-around support designed to stabilise children in alternate accommodation and support their transition back into home-based care or restoration, including weekly Social Work and Therapist visits, KYPSS support, regular respite, and access to additional funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,030+ children and young people supported in care annually through Key Assets organisations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Forget Me Not, Hope and Homes for Children, The Himalayan Innovative SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2022Two-year project to develop a model of community-owned foster care in Nepal based on Children's Act 2018. Partners with two municipalities in Chitwan District.
• Child's i FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2021Two-year project 'Demonstrating Community-led Alternatives to Orphanages' in Uganda. Will work with organisations to create professional foster and kinship care community, develop best practice models across three districts.
• Udayan CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2021Partnership focusing on family strengthening, restoration and reintegration of children back into their families in Delhi from institutional care during the Covid-19 crisis. Udayan Care operates in 25 cities across 14 states in India.
• Nippon FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2018Co-hosted first Asia Care Network Event in Jakarta to discuss issues within child care system in Indonesia. Platform for sharing best practice across Asia.
• FAMadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation providing family strengthening services and developing foster care programmes in Madagascar. FAMadagascar works with families in crisis to prevent child abandonment or placement in orphanages.
• Harum Family Center (HARAPAN UMMAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesia partner since 2005 supporting families with parenting skills and access to education. One of first organisations mandated by Government to pilot foster care in the region.
• FosterTalkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity providing support to foster carers. Part of the Martin James Foundation network, supporting over 18,000 members.
• UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership for care reform and deinstitutionalisation. Collaborations include meetings with FAMadagascar, Malagasy Government and UNICEF to support development of foster care handbook.
• EurochildmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership established for child welfare advocacy and care reform in Europe.
• Better Care NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for alternative care reform and deinstitutionalisation efforts.
• RelafmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for family-based care reform.
• Wunan FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with large Aboriginal organisation in East Kimberley, Australia for delivery of foster care, prevention of coming into care and reunification services.
• Arabian Medical ReliefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in establishing The Hope Centre, a comprehensive rehabilitation centre for children in Jordan.
• Government of NunavutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Key Assets Ontario to provide virtual training opportunities for foster parents in Nunavut, with plans for in-person training in fall 2022.
• Key Assets AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent, non-profit fostering agency in Australia delivering charitable services for children, families and communities.
• Key Assets CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading non-profit children and family services provider since 2007, delivering programmes through more than 200 full-time staff across three provincial offices.
• Key Assets New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit, non-governmental organisation providing specialised services including foster care, whānau preservation, whānau restoration, and youth work across New Zealand.
• One Sky FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThailand partner working on family-based care alternatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Family for Every Child: Global alliance of civil-society organisations focused on children in or at risk of entering alternative care, with a strong family-strengthening and deinstitutionalisation agenda. Comparable as a network/federation structure serving the same beneficiary segment.
• Hope and Homes for Children: UK-headquartered charity working to close institutions and develop family-based care across multiple countries. Directly comparable in deinstitutionalisation advocacy, country partnership model, and target beneficiary group.
• Lumos: International foundation (founded by J.K. Rowling) explicitly focused on ending institutionalisation of children globally and promoting family-based care. Closest direct peer in mission, advocacy framing, and donor-supported delivery model.
• Udayan Care: Indian NGO operating across 25 cities in 14 states providing family strengthening, foster care, and reintegration programmes. Already a partner of The Martin James Foundation and a directly comparable alternative-care operator in India.
• SOS Children's Villages International: Global non-profit operating alternative care programmes for children without parental care, including family-based care models. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary population to The Martin James Foundation's Key Assets organisations.

Others

• Better Care Network: Global network dedicated to improving care for children through family-based alternatives. Not a direct delivery peer but a closely aligned platform/network partner already working with The Martin James Foundation on care-reform advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children: Large incumbent international NGO with programmes spanning child protection, foster care, and family strengthening across 100+ countries. Overlaps in mission and beneficiary base but operates at vastly greater scale across many additional verticals.
• ChildFund International: Established international child-welfare NGO supporting children and families through community-based programmes, including alternative care. Comparable beneficiary focus but much broader programme portfolio and global footprint.
• UNICEF (Child Protection): UN agency responsible for child welfare globally, including alternative care policy. Already a major partner of The Martin James Foundation; comparable in focus on care reform and family-based care systems but vastly broader mandate and budget.

Regional players

• OneSky (formerly Half the Sky): International non-profit focused on early childhood care and family-based alternative care, primarily across Asia. Comparable mission in family-based care but with stronger focus on early childhood and Asia geographic concentration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WeAreMartinJamesFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/martin_james_foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearemartinjamesfoundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Martin James Foundation