Coram Chief Executive Dr Carol Homden has been announced as Dame Commander of the British Empire in the New Year Honours List 2026, for services to children and families.
Dr Homden has been Chief Executive of the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children known as Coram) since 2007, arriving from the Prince’s Trust where she had been commercial director since 2003. She was Chair of the National Autistic Society for ten years and is now Chair of Diabetes UK. Formerly a member of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, she also served on the Adoption Leadership Board for seven years and is a Trustee of the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Carol was awarded a CBE for her contribution to services for children and families in 2013.
Carol attended Shrewsbury High School and holds a BA (Honours) in English Literature and PhD in contemporary British drama from the University of East Anglia. She is married to author and designer Steve Caplin. They have two sons, the eldest being autistic with learning difficulties and supported in Mildenhall, Suffolk.
The citation states: “Carol has been Chief Executive of the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children (Coram) since 2007. Since then, she has been the driving force behind the delivery and evolution of the Coram Group’s contribution to supporting children, young people and families. Her mission is that all children, particularly the most vulnerable, should thrive. In this, she personifies the principles of Thomas Coram who founded the charity 300 years ago. Her relentless pursuit of innovation spans adoption and fostering activity days, sibling contact, and young ambassador and youth insight programmes to get young voices heard. She has developed the Coram Institute for Children, the first of its kind, which will be instrumental in realising this vision by seeking evidenced solutions to the challenges children face in the 21st century across policy, law and practice.”
Professor Sir Ivor Crewe, the President and Chair of the Coram Board of Trustees, said: “All who work and volunteer for Coram will be thrilled by the news of Carol’s honour. It is due recognition of her inexhaustible devotion to the welfare of the nation’s children over close to twenty years, and her inspired leadership of Coram. Without her energy, resourcefulness and dedication, worthy of our founder Captain Thomas Coram, Coram would not have developed into one of Britain’s leading children’s charities, committed to improving the lives of all vulnerable children, however hard their circumstances.”
Dr Carol Homden said: “It is humbling and overwhelming to receive such an honour. It is my privilege to work with dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters across health, education, law and social care as we together strive to support children and families who experience adversity to create better chances for children now, and advance research and policy to build a better future for society.”
About Coram
Coram is the first and longest continuing children’s charity in the UK. Established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739, today we are a vibrant charity group of specialist organisations – the Coram Group – supporting hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families every year.
We do this by championing children’s rights and wellbeing and making their lives better every day through our range of services. These include reading support, life skills, creative therapy and cultural programmes in schools for 600,000 children every year, domestic and intercountry adoption services, legal advice and advocacy for thousands of children and families every year as well as extensive membership and training and advice services for agencies and professionals in early years and children’s social care. The Coram Institute for Children is recognised as an Independent Research Organisation by the UKRI.
All of our work aims to realise seven key outcomes for children and young people: A fair chance in education with access to justice, A loving home, A voice that’s heard, A chance to shine, Skills for the future, No matter where which live, and building A society that cares.
For more information, please visit:
Website: www.coram.org.uk
Twitter: @Coram
Facebook: Coramsince1739
Instagram: coram.uk