Info Line and the 2010 Census

Info Line has been asked to serve as a 2010 Census Questionnaire Assistance Center and we’ve accepted the challenge! From Friday March 19th to Monday April 19th the Census is setting up these assistance sites all over the country so people who have questions about filling out their Census forms can come in and talk to a real person so they are sure to be counted.

If you have questions about the questionnaire, call the national Telephone Questionnaire Assistance center at 1-866-872-6868. (If you prefer a Spanish-speaking operator, then dial 1-866-928-2010.) The lines will be open seven days a week from February 25, 2010 through July 30, 2010. For the hearing-impaired, dial 1-866-783-2010.

The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. The 2010 Census will help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things like:

• Hospitals
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior centers
• Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
• Emergency services

The data collected by the census also help determine the number of seats your state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In March of 2010, census forms will be delivered to every residence in the United States and Puerto Rico. When you receive yours, just answer the 10 short questions and then mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope provided. If you don’t mail the form back, you may receive a visit from a census taker, who will ask you the questions from the form. The best way to ensure your privacy is to fill out the questionnaire and mail it back.

The majority of the country will receive English-only materials. Households in areas with high concentrations of Spanish-speaking residents may receive a bilingual (English/Spanish) form.

Any personal data you provide is protected under federal law.

Read more about the Decennial Census on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Census Web site:
http://2010.census.gov

Monday, March 8, 2010