Children’s charities’ report on cyp services funding

Matt Dunkley, Chair of the ADCS Resources and Sustainability Policy Committee, said:

“This analysis clearly outlines the challenges we face. Before Covid-19 children’s services were overstretched and woefully underfunded with councils having to use reserves or divert money away from other valued services to balance their budgets, this is unsustainable. The pandemic is storing up future financial and demand pressures for us and we must ensure children do not pay the heaviest price.

“Local authorities remain committed to meeting the needs of children and young people who need our help, support and protection, but we are very concerned about our capacity to deal with the surge of demand we expect to see once lockdown restrictions begin to ease. Some children and families will be presenting with new needs that we will have to respond to, others who were already showing signs of distress will be facing additional challenges as a result of Covid-19. We are also worried about the sustainability of our few remaining early help and preventative services that prevent children from reaching crisis point and reduce demand.

“We welcome recent emergency funds from the government to local authorities, but it is not enough. ADCS continues to call for a sufficient and sustainable multi-year funding settlement for children’s services that enables us to invest properly in children’s futures, including in the provision of early help. If nothing else the pandemic underlines the need to invest in prevention and help minimise risks early, children and families deserve more than just the bare minimum levels of resourcing and support.”

ENDS

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