(Larry’s name has been changed.)

£1,200,000 ($1,630,000) is a lot of money. It’s the cost of four average homes in the U.K. or four years at University for thirty three students or the amount needed to support a family of four for 26 years. It’s also how much one Local Authority has spent to provide residential care for fourteen year old Larry over the last seven years.

This colossal contribution from the taxpayers is typical of the expense incurred to provide safe and healthy care for Looked After Children in the United Kingdom under the existing system. I worked in a residential care home for three years where Larry was just one of the many young people who passed through. Each case is unique but his is fairly representative of more than 80,000 children currently in the care of local authorities. I’m sharing this story because it demonstrates the problems…