Research commissioned by the Department for Education found that average local council spend per child in need - where a child is identified as needing support services, such as early intervention family support or disability services - increased by 10 per cent, from £9,780 per year in 2010/11 to £10,780 per year in 2015/16.
However, researchers, who analysed local authority finance data found that spend per looked-after child by the average local council decreased by two per cent over the same period, from £46,740 per year in 2010/11 to £45,650 per year in 2015/16.
Overall, between 2010/11 and 2015/16 total spending by local councils on children's services was found to have decreased by nine per cent. England's councils spent £9.24m on children's services in 2010/11 but this fell to £9.01m by 2015/16.
The report also highlights huge variations in the amounts individual councils are spending per head on both children in need and children in care.
The biggest spenders on looked-after children were Torbay, which spent £73,541 in 2015/16, and Bournemouth, which spent £70,079.
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