Latest figures released by the County Councils Network (CCN) predict the number of care placements could hit a record high - up from 69,000 in 2015 - forcing local authorities to spend up to 60 per cent of their budgets to support these vulnerable children.
It is warning that a reliance on expensive care placements could see councils in England spend £3.6bn a year more in 2025 on children in care than figures recorded a decade ago.
Unless major reform and investment is made, such increased financial pressure will inevitably mean less money is available for other services to support families, the CCN said.
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