4Children responds to Local Government finance settlement

Responding to the government’s announcement on the local government finance settlement, Chief Executive of 4Children Anne Longfield OBE said:

We welcome the Government’s confirmation that they have reversed their initial decision and provided local authorities with £74 million funding for local welfare assistance, which helps vulnerable families who have suddenly slipped into crisis.

It is vital that local and national government put early intervention at the heart of their approaches. If we can prevent families from reaching crisis point, we not only benefit them but the wider economy too.

Despite this welcome news, reductions in overall local authority funding will leave councils facing increasingly tough choices about vital services which children and families rely on. 

We need a radical new approach, joined up and focused on early intervention. Extending the trusted network of Sure Start Children’s Centres to offer integrated and holistic support for families, through Children and Family hubs, would draw together all the support and resources families depend on in the heart of local communities. Effective and efficient public services must respond to the needs of modern family life.”

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