RIVERSIDE COUNTY IS PARTNERING with the U.S. Census Bureau to help achieve a complete and accurate count of our population as part of the 2010 Census. Conducted every 10 years, the census defines who we are as a nation. It guides critical decisions on the national, state and local levels and provides insight into population, state, local and tribal government funding and more.

Census data affect us all, which means achieving a complete and accurate count is essential. Every year, the federal government allocates more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data. The census count also helps determine congressional representation and guide local decision-makers on where to build new roads, hospitals, childcare, and senior citizen centers, schools and more.

One important thing to remember is that the information you provide to the U.S. Census Bureau is confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, not the IRS, not the FBI, not with any other government agency.

It’s also important that all members of a household are included on the census questionnaire, including infants, and foster children, and nonrelatives. Even people without a permanent place to stay need to be counted.

In the coming months, there will be a number of community events related to the census. Key dates include:

• January – July 2010: Census outreach activities take place.
• March, 2010: 2010 Census forms delivered or mailed.
• March 20, 2010: “Be Californian. Be Counted” Day, with state and local events.
• April 1, 2010: Census Day. Responses to the census form should include everyone living at that address.
• May – July 2010: Census workers visit households that did not mail back forms to take a count in person.

An estimated 32% of Riverside County residents were missed in the last census. One of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ goal for this year is to put together “a complete and accurate 2010 census count that is at least a 20% improvement over the 2000 census.”

Watch for additional details in the coming months or visit rccensus.org to learn more about the federal census and rccensus.org to learn about Riverside County’s efforts. Information about short-term jobs with the US Census Bureau is available by phoning 1-866-861-2010.