WIREDGOV

Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, responds to the Family and Childcare Trust's report Childcare for all and the Local Offer.

"We were clear with the Department for Education (DfE) at the time that implementing the SEND reforms in the Children and Families Bill, including maintaining a Local Offer, was significantly underfunded by the Government and this has been borne out in reality.

"Councils are determined to do all they can to help children with SEND, and their families, receive the support and opportunities that they need to flourish, but with demand increasing every year, this is proving extremely challenging."

The report is available here:  Childcare for all: the role of the Local Offer,