A Children’s Commissioner’s report on public spending on children from 2000 to 2020, produced by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, has found that almost half of the entire £8.6 billion children’s services budget in England is now spent on 73,000 children in the care system – leaving the remaining half to cover 11.7 million children.
The overall level of public spending on children has been maintained over the last 20 years – but 72% of children’s services budgets are now spent on those in severe need. Spending on prevention and youth services has been cut by 60% over the last decade.
Further details and a link to download the report are on the Children’s Commissioner website.