Survey background
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What is the National Survey of Children’s Health?
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The National Survey of Children’s Health collects information about the physical and mental health and health care needs of children ages 0-17 in the United States. States and communities use this information to better understand what children and their families need to be healthy and thrive.
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How long has the survey been going on?
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The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau has conducted national surveys about children’s health since 2001. That year, the first National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs was conducted to learn how special health care needs affect children and their families.
The first National Survey of Children’s Health was conducted in 2003 to help states and communities better understand the health and well-being of all children. Since 2016, the survey has been conducted every year to provide up-to-date information to states and communities working to improve the health and well-being of all children.
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Why should I participate in the survey?
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The survey collects important information on the health and health care needs of American children 0-17 years old. Your participation provides critical information about children in your state and ensures that households like yours are fairly represented.
The results help families, communities, policymakers, child advocates, educators, researchers, and the public better understand and respond to the health and health care needs of children and their families. Survey results are also used for federal and state Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant performance measures, state Title V five-year needs assessments, and 16 Healthy People 2030 child health objectives.
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Who sponsors the survey?
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The survey is sponsored by Maternal and Child Health Bureau within the Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau provides the primary funding and oversight for the survey.
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How is the U.S. Census Bureau involved?
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The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the survey, oversees the sampling, and produces the final public-use data files.
Selection of survey participants
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Why was I selected for the survey?
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The U.S. Census Bureau randomly selected your address, not you personally, from a list of mailable addresses across the country. Only a sample of addresses is selected because surveying every address in the country would cost too much and take too long.
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How was my address/household/child chosen?
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The U.S. Census Bureau randomly selected your address from mailable addresses across the country using scientific sampling methods.
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Do I have to participate in the survey?
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No. Participation is voluntary, but your response is very important because each person who answers the survey represents thousands of others. Your response helps make sure that children like yours and children in your community are represented in the results. You may choose not to answer any question for any reason.
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There are no children in my household. Do I still need to answer the survey?
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Yes, even if there are no children in your household, we need your response to help us accurately estimate the number of children living in the United States.
Answering the survey
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What kinds of questions does the survey ask?
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Survey topics include:
- Access to and use of health care services
- Child and family characteristics
- Family health and activities
- Health insurance coverage, type, and how well it meets the child’s needs
- How a child’s health affects the family
- Medical, dental, and specialty care the child needs and receives
- Neighborhood characteristics
- Physical and mental health, including current health conditions and difficulties with everyday activities
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How long will it take?
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The first part of the survey asks a few questions to determine whether your household is eligible for a more detailed questionnaire. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete. If your household is eligible for the second part, you will then be asked more detailed questions about one child in your household. This part takes about 35 minutes on average, depending on your answers.
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What if I do not know an exact answer to a question?
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You can ask someone else in your household who might know the answer. If no one knows, or there is no one else in your household, please give your best estimate.
If you are unsure what a question is asking, please call the U.S. Census Bureau toll-free at 1-800-845-8241 or email us at childrenshealth@census.gov.
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Why does the survey ask such detailed questions?
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The survey asks detailed questions because children’s health needs and experiences can be complex. Detailed information helps families, communities, and states better understand those needs. The survey is also the only national source of information about some child health conditions and needs.
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How do I recover my Web survey Login ID?
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Your Login ID is printed on the invitation letter you received for the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). If you no longer have the letter, you should receive a reminder mailing with your Login ID within the next month.
Once you have your Login ID, you can access the online survey at: https://centurion.census.gov/nsch
Confidentiality, privacy, and security
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What is the legal authority behind the National Survey of Children's Health?
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The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the National Survey of Children’s Health on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Title 13, U.S.C. Section 8(b). This law allows the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct surveys on behalf of other federal agencies.
Title 42, U.S.C. Section 701(a)(2) allows HHS to collect information to better understand the health and well-being of children in the United States.
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How is my privacy protected?
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The information that you provide is used solely for statistical purposes. All U.S. Census Bureau employees take an oath of confidentiality and are subject to fines or imprisonment for improperly disclosing information. Names and addresses are removed from all forms and are not included in any statistical release.
The National Survey of Children’s Health will never ask for:
- Your Social Security number
- You to send your personal information by email
- Money or donations
- Credit card information
Learn more about U.S. Census Bureau data protection and privacy.
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How can I verify that the survey materials are legitimate?
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To verify that the survey materials are legitimate, call the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-800-845-8241. A National Survey of Children's Health representative can provide their name and interviewer code to confirm that they work for the U.S. Census Bureau.
This survey is approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number appears at the bottom left of the survey web page and in the upper left corner on the back page of the paper questionnaire. If this number were not displayed, we could not conduct this survey.
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For this survey, is it safe to provide my information over the Internet?
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Yes. Your information is encrypted when you submit it online and while it is stored on the U.S. Census Bureau servers. Under the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, the systems that transmit your data are screened for cybersecurity risks. The U.S. Census Bureau also uses secure technology to protect the information sent between your browser and their servers.
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How can I be sure my information is really going to the U.S. Census Bureau and not some third party?
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The U.S. Census Bureau uses secure websites to collect your survey responses. Before entering your information, check that the website address is an official Census Bureau address, such as centurion.census.gov/nsch.
The Census Bureau also uses digital security certificates to verify the identity of its websites and help protect the information you submit.
Additional information
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How can I obtain additional information about the National Survey of Children’s Health?
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You can find additional information about the survey here:
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How can I respond to the survey or get help?
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You can complete the survey online or by paper questionnaire.
If you need help completing the survey, contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-800-845-8241 or childrenshealth@census.gov.
If you received only an invitation to complete the survey online but would prefer a paper questionnaire, you can also contact the U.S. Census Bureau.