11 of England's 20 largest children's care providers owned by private equity firms
A new analysis reveals that private equity companies control or partially control 11 of the 20 biggest fostering and children's homes operators in England.
Research from Revolution Consulting and the thinktank Common Wealth indicates that 55% of major children's social care providers in England are backed by institutional finance. This includes private equity, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, and venture capital firms owning or partially owning 11 out of the 20 largest agencies in the country. The four largest independent fostering companies, which handle nearly a quarter of all placements, have made more than £200m in interest payments to shareholders funded by taxpayer money since 2020. Data shows that at least one in three fostering agency placements and one in five children's homes are run by firms with institutional financial backing. Andrea Egan, general secretary of Unison, described the situation as obscene profiteering using vulnerable children to line investors' pockets. The findings have triggered calls for systemic change within children's social care.
