children's centres, forcing them to prioritise the protection of
statutory functions, a DfE report suggests that councils' ability to do
this is being stretched to the limit. By Jess Brown and Adam Offord
Latest local authority data reveals the level of cuts in spending on children's centres has doubled over the past 12 months.
Section 251 returns from councils, published in December, show £900m was spent on children's centres in 2014/15, down from £1.1bn the year before (see graphic).
The depth of the cuts are a reflection of the pressure local authority budgets are under in light of rising demand and reduced government funding for all children's services over the past five years (see graphic).
Councils' response to this has been to prioritise protecting spending on statutory functions, such as services for looked-after children and safeguarding, at the expense of early intervention services, including children's centres and youth work (see graphic).
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