According to the Local Government Association (LGA), councils are cutting back on children’s centre spending to fund support for growing numbers of looked-after children.
Analysis
The LGA, which has carried out an analysis of Government figures, says councils have been forced to reduce their spending on children’s centres by nearly a quarter in four years.
The figures show local authorities spent £480,513 on children’s centres in 2017/18, compared to £637,265 in 2014/15.
The LGA, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, says that while spending on children’s centres has fallen, councils have had to increase how much is spent on children in care by almost a fifth due to rising demand - the number of looked-after children is at its highest since the 1980s.
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