Analysis by the organisation found that almost a third of the bill came from the annual £5bn cost of looking after children in care, with a further £4bn a year spent on benefits for 18- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neet).
Among other costs, a total of £900m is spent helping young people suffering from mental health issues or battling drug and alcohol problems.
The report calls for the next government to take early intervention seriously and introduce a number of measures, including:
The foundation wants the investment fund to be supplemented by private sector cash through social investment.
The money would be awarded to councils, healthcare providers, schools, voluntary groups and other organisations with plans to redesign local services around effective early intervention.
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