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<p>We recognise that local councils delivering children’s services are operating in
a challenging fiscal environment and are making tough decisions about priorities.
We are supporting them to do this in a number of ways:</p><p> </p><ul><li>by 2020,
we will be spending £6 billion per year on childcare, including £1 billion a year
to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and increase our hourly funding rates;</li><li>since
2014, we have invested £200 million in our Innovation and Partners In Practice Programmes
to help local councils redesign their children’s services to achieve higher quality
and better value for money;</li><li>the Spending Review 2015 made available more than
£200 billion to local councils for local services up to 2019-20 and local councils
increased spending on children and young people’s services to over £9 billion in 2015-16.
In addition, we are in the second year of an unprecedented four-year finance settlement,
accepted by 97% of councils, this allows local councils to plan ahead with certainty.
Funding for children’s services gives local councils the freedom to target resources
flexibly to meet local need; and</li><li>we are committed to working alongside the
sector to carry out the Department for Communities and Local Government led Fair Funding
Review of how local government funding is distributed.</li></ul><p><strong><br> </strong></p><p>
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