Hundreds of vulnerable children placed in illegal care homes amid broken system'

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"The Commons spending watchdog branded it "unacceptable" that data revealed approximately 800 children had been housed in such unregulated settings for an average of six months each. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), stated that the nature of these placements and the severe lack of oversight meant it was impossible to know whether the children were being cared for in a "safe, stable, or loving environment.""

"The report, published on Friday, follows a separate warning from the inspectorate Ofsted in December, which highlighted that fees for places in unregistered homes have been known to reach as high as 30,000 a week per child. Ofsted said it had begun nearly 900 investigations during the 12 months to March 2025 into potential unregistered homes, which often charge exorbitant fees to local authorities that have run out of options."

Journalists are deployed to cover reproductive rights, climate change, and Big Tech, including investigations into Elon Musk's pro‑Trump PAC and a documentary spotlighting American women fighting for reproductive rights. The operation avoids paywalls to make quality journalism accessible, relying on donations and support from those who can afford it. Vulnerable children in care have been placed in unregistered homes, with roughly 800 children housed in such settings for an average of six months, prompting MPs to warn of regular risk and systemic dysfunction. Ofsted reported fees up to 30,000 a week per child and nearly 900 investigations into potential unregistered homes.

Read at www.independent.co.uk