The quickening pace of growth this year has seen the head of the Family Division Sir James Munby warn of an impending "crisis" in the care system, with the courts and care services unable to cope with demand (see Analysis). What is behind the rise is unclear. Munby suggests three possible reasons, two of which focus on local authority practice: that they are becoming more adept at finding child abuse; and that the standards they are judging cases by have become more demanding.
This cuts to the heart of the debate: is the rise a reflection of societal issues - greater levels of deprivation, family abuse and parental problems - or a shift in how child protection services and professionals respond to struggling families? Munby dismisses the first of these, saying it is implausible that rates of child abuse have risen at the same rate as care applications, instead focusing on local authority behaviour.
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