CYP Now - Early help spending on children's services halved over last decade, warn children’s charities

Council spending on early help for vulnerable children has halved over the last decade, according to latest figures from a group of major children’s charities.

Too many families are being met at crisis point, the reseach says. Picture: Adobe Stock

Analysis, commissioned by children’s charities Barnardo’s, Action for Children, NSPCC the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) and the Children’s Society, has found that council spending on early intervention services for families fell from £3.6bn in 2010 to £1.8bn in 2020.

Cuts to early help include the closure of a thousand children’s centres and 750 youth centres since 2010, the report states.

Children in areas of disadvantage have been worst hit, the figures reveal, by a 59 per cent drop in funding for early help over the last ten years. In contrast the fall in the least deprived council areas was 38 per cent.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included