CYP Now - Children’s services spending ‘spiralling out of control’, councils warn

County councils are warning that children’s services spending is “spiralling out of control”, and accounting for almost half of their projected £639m overspend this year.

Councils warn that 'an acute rise in the costs of placing children in care mean in-year spending on children’s services is spiralling out of control'. Picture: Adobe Stock - ADOBE STOCK

A survey of 41 county and unitary councils has found that children’s services costs accounts for £319m of this overspend.

This is a far greater proportion than adult services, which accounts for £179m of overspending by councils.

The survey has been carried out by local authority body County Councils Network (CCN), which warns that “an acute rise in the costs of placing children in care mean in-year spending on children’s services is spiralling out of control”.

The government is being urged by the CCN to release emergency children’s services funding to prevent councils “having to undertake drastic spending reductions to other services and reduce their reserves to unsustainable levels”.

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