- MPs have warned that vulnerable children in care are "regularly put at risk" within a "dysfunctional system" due to hundreds being placed in unregistered homes for extended periods.
- The Public Accounts Committee found approximately 800 children in England were housed in such unregulated settings for an average of six months, equating to about one in 10 of all children in residential care.
- A severe lack of oversight means it is impossible to determine if these children are in a "safe, stable, or loving environment".
- The committee said that the lack of legitimate registered homes and delays in Ofsted's registration process contribute to this "shadow market", where fees can reach £30,000 per child per week.
- MPs urged the Department for Education to commit to reducing the number of children in unregistered homes to zero by the end of 2027.
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