Moran: Government must invest to end crisis in children’s social care

Responding to analysis by the Local Government Association, revealing that the number of children in care has risen by 28% in the last 10 years, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Layla Moran MP said:

“While councils struggle, hundreds of children are missing out on on a suitable children’s home near to their family and friends. The more councils’ budgets are squeezed, the less is being invested to prevent young people getting into crisis in the first place.

“Every child, no matter their circumstances, deserves the best start in life. Conservative Ministers must therefore use this Budget to give councils the cash they need to put children’s social care on a sustainable financial footing, including helping councils to build more children’s homes.

"Liberal Democrats will also continue to campaign for more investment in children’s centres and youth services and to end cruel benefits measures like the two-child limit that keep families in poverty.”

ENDS.

Notes to Editors:

The LGA analysis also reveals that:

Councils have seen a 53 percent increase in children on child protection plans – an additional 18,160 children – in the past decade.

In the past decade, there has been a 139 percent increase in serious cases where the local authority believes a child may be suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm: an additional 117,070 cases (up to 201,170).

The age of children in care has been steadily increasing over the past five years. Young people over 10 years old account for 63 percent of all in care, with teenagers being six times more likely than younger children to be living in residential or secure children’s homes, which is significantly more expensive than foster care.