INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

TO: Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: Census 2000

INFORMATION: The Administration for Children and Families urges Head Start grantees to support Census 2000. It is imperative that parents in Head Start programs take the time to completely and accurately fill out the questionnaire and be counted. Parents should be made aware of how a timely and accurate response will benefit them.

Every ten years the U.S. government takes a snapshot of America through the Decennial Census. Census data is used to ensure the fair representation in the Congress and to distribute nearly $200 billion in Federal funds. The amount of head Start funds available in each state is based on the Census.

Census 2000 is the largest peacetime mobilization in U.S. history. At its peak, the Census Bureau will be filling over 860,000 jobs to count everyone living in this country. Some important facts to consider that has direct relevance to communities are:

• The Census helps communities by providing valuable data for planning programs and services, including schools, hospitals and roads.
  
• The Census helps in providing assistance in times of need. When tornadoes, earthquakes or hurricanes hit, the Census tells rescuers how many people will need their help.
  
• The Census makes government more responsive by telling government leaders who and what people need.
  
• Census numbers help businesses and industry locate skilled labor, select sites for new plants and markets and produce more efficiently the products and services we all need.
• Responses to the Census are confidential. No one outside the Census Bureau will see any of the answers submitted. By law, the Census Bureau may not share any information submitted to any other government agency. No police department, no court of law, not even the President of the United States can see this information.
• The same law that keeps the Census Bureau from supplying information to these agencies also prevents it from providing any of it to anyone outside of the government, such as landlords or direct mail companies. Census Bureau employees face fines and imprisonment if they disclose personal information from the questionnaires to anyone.

Parents should be encouraged to include on the questionnaire every adult and child living in the home, even if he or she is not related. If help is needed in filling out the form, Questionnaire Assistance Centers are available. The questionnaire also has a toll free number for help. For general information about Census 2000, go to the Census Bureau's Internet site at http://www.census.gov.

Thank you for your help in this important effort.

/S/
Helen H. Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau