The next mayor of London will be responsible for a budget of £17bn. So what are the main candidates in May's election pledging to deliver for children, young people and families? We trawl the manifestos to find out.
A new social work practice model, low caseloads and joined-up services have helped two of the three councils in a merged children's services department become the first to be judged "outstanding" by Ofsted's inspection system.
The importance of strong attachments from early childhood - and of tackling the damage caused by neglect where these attachments are lacking - is seeing greater recognition in both policy and practice.
Plans to reverse a fall in the number of children being adopted include changes to prioritise adoption over other forms of care, increased post-adoption support and speeding up the process of finding prospective adopters.
In early 2014, the tri-borough councils in London became one of the first areas to benefit from the Department for Education's £100m, two-year Children's Social Care Innovation Fund.
A record number of care applications were made in February, but experts differ over whether this is a sign of better child protection practice, the result of cuts to early help services or rising levels of poverty.