Places in council-run children’s homes in England fall by third as private firms take over

Increased reliance on private provision is pushing children hundreds of miles away from friends and family

The number of places in council-run children's homes in England has fallen by a third since 2012 - at the same time as places in privately run profit-making children's homes have soared, according to an Observer analysis of government data.

The dramatic fall in council-run children's homes, and local authorities' increasing reliance on privately run provision, have helped drive a rise in children being housed hundreds of miles from their families, with private provision clustering in cheaper parts of the country.