Filling out your census comes with many benefits, but did you know you can make history by just filling out a 10-minute questionnaire? Census records are used for statistical and ancestry purposes to ensure our history is kept for future generations. Your census records can shape your family story!
After completing your census, the U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them confidential for 72 years. This means your responses will not be shared with any law enforcement agencies, including ICE, nor will it prevent you from receiving government benefits. After the 72 years, census records are released to the public and given to the National Archives and Records Administration.
Did you know once records are made public, you can research your relatives through over 200 years of U.S. Census data? Maybe you don’t know the real name of your Great Uncle Shorty. You can explore your family tree through the national archives and find out that his real name was Troy. Your family has a story to tell, and whether you have family records dating back to the 1790 Census or whether this is your family’s first census, your story is kept permanently and securely within the U.S. Census data. Imagine your great, great, great, great-grandchildren wanting to learn the names and whereabouts of their ancestors. They will be able to do so if you complete your census today!
Not only will your story be told for generations to come, but the results will inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated now to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services, and SNAP.
Complete your census form online at my2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020, or by mail. If you don’t have access to the internet, you may complete your form at a library (free wifi), community center, or organization with the technology available. If a household doesn’t respond, the U.S. Census Bureau will follow up in-person. By responding now, you can help save staff time and prevent a visit to your home.
It only takes about 10 minutes and asks a few questions about you and those living with you on April 1, 2020. Your response to the census is important. Every person matters! Make sure you are counted, for the health and safety of your family now, and for your family record.