4Children will survey managers in March of every year, asking them about the number and type of staff they employ, the number of childcare places they provide, the mix of universal and targeted services they offer and the extent to which they are charging for these.
The first set of data, which is being collected over the next fortnight, will be used to compare services before changes in centres' funding levels and the removal of the funding ring-fence.
Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said, 'With a growing number of local authorities committing to keeping centres open, our attention is now moving to ensuring we are able to monitor changes to service provision. This survey will be a vital tool in tracking trends and reporting back a national view of how services are changing.'
Any children's centre managers interested in completing the survey and who have not been contacted should call 4Children Public Affairs on 020 7522 6991.
