Early help spending on children aged four and under has halved since 2010 – with money instead being diverted to urgent and crisis support, such as taking children into care, research has found. While public spending across health, social care and education on this age group has remained steady at around £6,400 a child over the last decade, the proportion directed at early help services has been slashed. The research, published by social innovation charity Nesta, found that £3 in every £10 of funding for young children was spent on preventative services in 2022/23, compared with £6 in every £10 in 2010/11. Read more.
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