Jim Cockburn has transformed global foster care, helping provide for over 45,000 children worldwide. Starting as a social worker in areas like Bristol and Sandwell, Jim saw the failures of institutional care and the lack of support for foster carers. He responded by founding an agency to place children with complex needs in family homes, ensuring foster carers were well-trained and supported. Inspired by the case of a severely traumatised girl, Jim pioneered a model of foster care that provided long-term support, therapy, and financial aid. His agency, established during the deregulation of fostering, quickly grew to become a leader in its field. By 2006, Jim’s organisation expanded globally, including countries like New Zealand, Norway, and Japan, helping resettle displaced children into family environments. For over 30 years, his agency has supported foster carers, focusing on children who are hard to place, providing essential therapy and educational support. In 2017, Jim and his wife Ayyab founded the Martin James Foundation, which continues their mission of improving global child-care standards and supporting nearly 1,000 children annually.