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With less than a week to the April 1 deadline, only 12 percent of Texas households have mailed back their form, compared to 20 percent across the country as of Thursday, March 25. Counties in the Valley fare the worst, with less than a 4 percent return rate, compared to Carson County, in the Texas panhandle, with a 36 percent return rate. Click here to download all local level data from the March 25 Census Bureau report on census returns.

Based on a new report from the Brookings Institution, we can expect to bring in more than $12,000 in the next 10 years for every Texan that's counted! That also means for every Texan missed, we miss out on $12,000 in critical federal funding for transportation, agriculture, health, education, and housing-adding up to hundreds of millions of dollars in lost opportunities.

With the mail return deadline fast approaching, here are five top ways you can make sure the 2010 Census is a complete and accurate count:

1. Fill out and mail in your Census Form and encourage friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and clients to do so too! "Census Day" is April 1. Beginning in mid-April, households that have not returned their form will be visited (up to seven times if necessary!) by an official Census enumerator to ensure we have a complete and accurate count.

2. If you or someone you know needs assistance with the Census Form, find and promote your local Questionnaire Assistance Center.

3. To find out if your local community is sending back their forms, track and promote your community response rate on 2010.census.gov. As of today, Texas only has a 12 percent response rate, compared to a national rate of 20 percent. We can do better!



4. Log on to the CPPP's 2010 Census page to learn more about the Census and find links to lots of free resources to help advertise the census.

5. Advertise Census help line numbers for the 2010 questionnaire:

   • English: 1-866-872-6868

   • Chinese: 1-866-935-2010

   • Korean: 1-866-955-2010

   • Russian: 1-866-965-2010

   • Spanish: 1-866-928-2010

   • Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010

   • TDD (Telephone Display Device for the hearing impaired): 1-866-783-2010

   • Puerto Rico (in English): 1-866-939-2010

   • Puerto Rico (in Spanish): 1-866-929-2010

   If you have any questions, please contact Frances Deviney, Texas KIDS COUNT Director, at deviney@cppp.org or 512-320-0222 ext. 106.

Thank you for all your hard work in 2010!

900 Lydia St. | Austin, TX 78702
P 512/320-0222 | F 512/320-0227

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