"Councils are now looking after nearly 16,000 more children than they were 10 years ago."
Responding to new government figures published today on the increase in the number of looked after children in England, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:
“Councils are now looking after nearly 16,000 more children than they were 10 years ago.
“During that decade of rising demand, councils have lost £15 billion in core government funding. While councils have increased children’s social care budgets at the expense of other services, this has not been able to keep pace with demand.
“If children in care, and those on the edge of care, are to thrive, councils must have the funding they need to pay for the very best support, from help with education and mental health through to support for foster carers and nurturing children’s homes.
“While the additional investment announced in the Spending Review was helpful, what is urgently needed is a long-term sustainable funding solution that enables councils to protect children at immediate risk of harm while also supporting early intervention to prevent problems escalating in the first place.”