Over two decades, Kids Company developed a pioneering, multidisciplinary approach to child welfare and wellbeing.
In 2013, the London School of Economics studied this model and identified the principles that made it unique and effective:
​Core PrinciplesChild-Focused – the child’s needs are always at the centre.
Therapeutically Integrated – combining psychotherapy, neuroscience, and care.
Holistic & Contextual – supporting the whole child within their environment.
Emotion-Led – rooted in the language of attachment, love, and trust.
Flexible – adapting to each child’s unique needs and circumstances.
Collaborative – building bridges across families, schools, services, and communities.
Arts-Based & Imaginative – using creativity as a tool for healing and self-expression.
Preventative – intervening early to stop trauma escalating into crisis.
What Made It Different
Children were treated as the primary client, with unconditional support and “parenting by proxy.”
Interventions were informed by cutting-edge neuroscience, recognising the impact of trauma on the body and brain — and the power of neuroplasticity to heal.
Care was integrated across disciplines, breaking down silos between health, education, social care, and the arts.
The model valued emotional language and love, countering bureaucratic systems where children too often disappear behind paperwork.Creative expression — art, music, theatre, fashion, film — was central, giving children voice, confidence, and opportunities.Above all, the model sought to prevent breakdown by offering consistent, loving, long-term relationships.
This holistic, therapeutic approach remains at the heart of CAMILA’S today — evolving to meet new challenges, but always guided by the same radical belief: that love, creativity, and compassion can transform fractured lives.
RESOURCES
Here we share the data that tells the story of transformation that worked for so many children.