The number of children who are in care on the Wirral has reached it’s highest ever level which has put the support services at breaking point.
Members of the Council have issued a warning about the future of the service whilst reporting a huge increase in demand for it’s services.
There are more than 800 young people being looked after by Wirral Council which is the highest number that the council has ever seen.
In a plea to the government – the Council has asked that the government make more funding available to help deal with the increase.
The number of children in care on the Wirral is double the national average – 120 per 10,000 young people.
Councillor Bernie Mooney said the effects of austerity will continue to hurt those most in need and indicated that the problem goes beyond the Wirral and urged the chancellor to use next months budget to make urgently needed changes.
She said: “This level of need and demand for services from our most vulnerable children and families has never been seen before.
“Seven years of austerity, of seeing funding for the early intervention services these families rely on being taken away by the government, has created a situation where children are suffering.”
“Since the Conservative government took office, there has been a steady reduction in early intervention services for children.
“Family support services have been cut to the bone and children’s centres have been shutting at a rate of 6 a month in the UK.
“Cutting early intervention to such an extent is so short sighted it’s almost frightening.
“It doesn’t take a genius to work out that if you don’t intervene early, things won’t get better – they’re more likely to get worse – and the child who could have been helped and supported at home is going to end up in care – that’s what we are seeing, in huge numbers, all across the UK.”