Kid Health Check: Census Wants Family Insights Again
Published Date: 3/25/2026
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau is updating its National Survey of Children's Health, which asks families about their kids' health and well-being. Around 127,000 households will take part, spending about 40 minutes each. This update helps keep the survey fresh and useful, with a 30-day public comment period open now—no extra costs for families, just a little time to share their stories!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Households with children: ~40-minute survey
If your household has eligible children, the survey takes about 40–42 minutes in total (about 5 minutes for the screener plus 35–36 minutes for the age-based topical questionnaire). About 126,703 respondents are expected to take part in 2026 and the overall sample frame is ~375,000 addresses.
Short screener card for households without children
Households without children may receive a 1-minute screener card so they do not have to return an 8-page paper screener. This short screener is intended to reduce time and mailing burden for households that do not have children.
$5 unconditional cash incentive to most addresses
The survey program uses a $5 unconditional cash incentive in initial screener and topical mailings; 90% of sampled addresses receive the cash incentive while 10% serve as a control. The incentive is intended to boost response rates.
Collecting contact info to target households with children
The 2026 survey will collect respondent contact information on PAPI screener instruments to better target households with children and send more personalized contact attempts by mail, email, or auto-dialer to those households.
Incentive envelope test for unfinished web starts
A web-targeted secondary unconditional screener incentive envelope test will be used for a subset of people who started the web questionnaire but did not finish; preliminary 2025 results show visible incentive envelopes sent by USPS boost response and cost less than FedEx.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-14513, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; the Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories and Orders (M3) Survey
The Census Bureau wants to keep collecting monthly info from U.S. manufacturers about their shipments, inventories, and orders through the M3 survey. They’re asking the public to share thoughts by September 18, 2026, before they get final approval. This helps keep the data flowing without adding extra hassle or cost to businesses.
2026-14512, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions
The Census Bureau wants to keep running its Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions for three more years and is asking the public to share their thoughts by September 18, 2026. This survey helps track new home building and sales, affecting builders, buyers, and policymakers. No big changes or costs are planned, just a smooth continuation to keep housing data fresh and useful.
2026-14554, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for Internet Panel Pretesting and Qualitative Survey Methods Testing
The Census Bureau wants to keep testing online surveys and internet panels to make sure their questions work well and don’t waste your time. They’re asking for your thoughts by September 18, 2026, before getting final approval. This helps keep surveys smart, quick, and less annoying for everyone involved, with no extra cost or big time changes.
2026-13801, Age Search Fee Structure
Starting August 7, 2026, the Census Bureau is raising the Age Search fee from $65 to $155 and the rush fee from $20 to $50. This service helps people get official proof of their age from old census records, especially if they don’t have a birth certificate. These changes cover the real costs of processing requests, which haven’t been updated since 2004.
2026-11886, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; DOC-Census Workforce Development Collection
The Census Bureau wants your thoughts on a new survey about workforce training programs run by the Department of Commerce. This survey will help improve how they track and support people in these programs, with no cost to participants. You’ve got until August 11, 2026, to share your feedback before the survey gets the green light from the Office of Management and Budget.
2026-11293, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS)
The Census Bureau is asking to keep collecting housing vacancy info every month without changes. About 59,000 landlords, rental agents, and neighbors help by sharing quick updates on empty homes, which helps everyone understand the housing market better. This survey keeps running smoothly with no extra cost or time burden, and you’ve got 30 days to share your thoughts!
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-05795, 2026 Report on the Effectiveness of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program
The 2026 report checks how well the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP) is working to help insurance companies cover losses from terrorist attacks. It affects insurers, businesses, and the government by making sure insurance stays available and affordable. The Treasury is asking for feedback by May 8, 2026, to decide if any changes or updates are needed to keep the program strong and ready.
Next: 2026-05798, Agency Information Collection Activities; National Historic Landmarks Nomination Form
The National Park Service wants to keep using the National Historic Landmarks Nomination Form and is asking for your thoughts by April 24, 2026. This form helps decide which places get special historic status, affecting property owners and history fans. There’s no new cost, just a chance to share your ideas and keep the process smooth and easy.