An “alarming” number of children are leaving the care system and becoming homeless, and not in employment or in education, because children’s social care services are overstretched in the face of rising need.
In a report on restoring care leavers’ life chances, the Commons’ Education Committee calls for a National Care Offer, to ensure a consistent standard of financial and housing support for care leavers is offered by councils. It also wants new funding announced in the Spending Review to be allocated to early intervention programmes.
The committee said the rising level of demand on children’s services was down to rising poverty, cost-of-living pressures, and a decrease in funding for early intervention.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “We support the committee’s call for increased funding for early intervention services, which will help to prevent children reaching crisis point and reduce the numbers entering care.
“It is right to recognise the crucial need to support care leavers. We would like a government-funded national exemption for care leavers from council tax, prescription charges, and NHS dental and optical costs, to help prevent financial hardship and ensure access to vital services.