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Increased funding gap for children’s services

Commenting on the estimated funding gap for children’s services Alison Michalska, President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said:

“It is unsurprising that the estimated funding gap for children’s services has increased, expected to be £2bn by 2020, given that demand for these services continues to grow at the same time as our budgets have reduced. It is likely that this figure will continue to increase as the pressures facing children’s social care deepen and are left unaddressed. For some time now the need for sufficient, sustainable and long term funding for children’s services has been voiced by many in the sector, and for too long this has been ignored. We cannot go on as we are. Local authorities know that a strong local early intervention offer can reduce the need for more intrusive and costly interventions in the lives of children and families once problems have worsened and reached crisis point, yet councils have been left with no choice but to reduce these services in order to cope with rising demand. Local authorities have worked hard to make savings but we are running out of options.

“Securing good outcomes for children and young people must be an absolute priority for the next government and this can only be achieved by ensuring that the full breadth of children’s services including social care and schools are properly funded in the future.”

ENDS


Tags assigned to this article:
FUNDING 287 AUSTERITY 86 RESOURCES 69

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