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From the Desk of Bill Cirone...
March 24, 2000
Census 2000
The Census forms have arrived and it’s time to be counted.
The goal of the census, as always, is to have 100 percent participation by every man, woman, and child living in the United States. However, experience tells us that some people will be missed, and a surprisingly large portion of those missed will be children.
Some people mistakenly believe that the census is just for adults. The truth is that the census needs information about children as well. The distribution of federal funds for school districts is based on census numbers, for example.
Local health agencies also use census results to plan and run programs that promote the well-being of families and children. In fact, information gathered by the census is used by special programs like the free and reduced lunch program at schools; Head Start; and the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
Census 2000 is a huge undertaking. It may well be the largest peacetime effort in the history of the United States. Hundreds of thousands of census takers and support personnel will be needed to account for the anticipated 118 million housing units and 275 million people across the nation.
What makes the effort so important is all the things we will learn about ourselves that will help our nation succeed in the next millennium. Census figures help determine the federal dollars that flow to schools, employment services, housing assistance, highway construction, hospital services, and programs for the elderly, to name just a few.
All information gathered by the census is confidential. By law, the Census Bureau is prohibited from sharing the information about individuals with any person or organization, including the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, welfare officials, immigration officials, or any other governmental or non-governmental agency.
All residents of Santa Barbara County are urged to fill out the form that was received in the mail. Those who need help with the form, or those who did not receive one, can contact a local census office or call the national help line at 1-800-471-9424.
Remember: Your children are counting on you to be counted.
© Santa Barbara County Education Office
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