A fair share of welfare: public spending on children in England

It is increasingly recognised that improving the quality and quantity of children’s services is an essential part of any long-term strategy to tackle poverty and social exclusion among children. As part of its wider programme to address child poverty in England, Save The Children commissioned this review of expenditure to examine how much is spent on children, particularly poor children, on major public services – education, health, social care, and housing – as well as social security. The results give an indication of the priority this government attaches to meeting the needs of children, in particular poor children, which can be set alongside evidence on outcomes for children, including trends in child poverty, children’s health and educational outcomes.