BMG Research will conduct the two-week childcare survey

A doorstep survey will gauge opinion on the ease of finding childcare, costs, parents' understanding of children's centres and the tax credit system.

SureStart County Durham is promising to listen to the views and develop services to meet people's needs.

The survey will be conducted from 8 December by BMG Research, and is expected to take two weeks.

Peter Kiernan, from SureStart County Durham, said: "We are seeking to understand the needs of mums, dads and carers, how our services are impacting on their lives and what can be done to ensure more can benefit."