Why costs vary in children's care services

This article identifies the broad reasons why costs in children’s care services might vary, illustrating them with examples from research literature relating to England. An intentionally broad use of ‘costs’ is employed. The literature has been neither systematically nor comprehensively reviewed but does include most of the recent work in the social care field. Articles have been selected to illustrate particular cost associations. This article finds that there is as yet insufficient research into the costs, cost variations or cost-effectiveness of children’s services. However, the findings provide guidance for decision-makers as they try to understand how resources are currently deployed and why this might be.