Our history

Originally named Foster Parents Scheme for Children in Spain, Plan International was founded in 1937 by British journalist and broadcaster John Langdon-Davies. He was later joined by Eric Muggeridge, Esme Odgers, and Nick (Barton) Carter. 

Langdon-Davies had seen first-hand the plight of children orphaned during the Spanish Civil War and was determined to help. He wanted to provide not only food, shelter and education to the children but also a sense that someone, somewhere, was thinking about them as an individual. 

During the Second World War, renamed Foster Parents Plan for War Children, we expanded to work with displaced children throughout war-torn Europe. We continued to work in Europe through the 1950s.

Over the following decades, Plan International extended its work to Asia and Africa and ended its work in Europe. Countries that were once helped by Plan International have now become donors – including Spain, where it all began.