Cost of Late Intervention

Our new Cost of Late Intervention Report 2024 shows how much governments are spending when support comes too late, and why investing in early, proven solutions is smarter, fairer, and more effective.

The old adage still rings true: prevention is better than cure.

Our children and communities are no different. As with most things in life, it’s far better to stop a problem from arising than to deal with its consequences.

To give every child a fair go, families need the right support to thrive. When that support isn’t delivered and challenges go unaddressed, negative outcomes can follow.

This is what we call the cost of late intervention.

This cost is measured as government spending on statutory, acute and essential services that step in when children and young people are already in crisis.

These services are critical – but they are also expensive. And too often, they arrive too late.