Advance Letter Gatekeeper

DC

ATUS-2(L)(G)
(11-2005)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

Dear Parent or Guardian of
One of our interviewers recently attempted to contact your child in connection with the
American Time Use Survey (ATUS), but was unable to complete an interview.1 Because
of the importance of your child’s participation in this voluntary survey, I am writing to
ask for your assistance. We are trying to better understand how Americans ages 15
years and older use their time. Since teens may use their time differently than older
age groups, it is very important that they be adequately represented in the survey. The
answers your child provides will represent those of many other teens.
We understand that parents or guardians might have some concerns regarding their
child’s participation. We guarantee that all responses are confidential and will be used
only for statistical purposes. Data released from this survey will not be linked with your
child’s name or any other identifying information. The interviewers are trained professionals, sworn to protect the confidentiality of the data, and many have children of their
own. The survey is conducted over the telephone. Some parents of teenagers participating in the study are more comfortable if the interviewer is the same sex as their
child. You are welcome to contact us to make this arrangement or to discuss any
questions. You may call, e-mail, or visit the ATUS web site at the following:
Phone: 1–800–232–1824
Email: [email protected]
Web address: http://www.bls.gov/tus/home.htm
I hope this letter addresses any concerns you may have and that you will grant your
child permission to participate in the ATUS when we contact your household again.
Sincerely,

Charles Louis Kincannon
Director
Enclosure
1 The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved this survey and assigned it Control Number 1220-0175. Title 29,
United States Code, Section 1, and Title 13, United States Code, Section 8, authorize the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct this
survey. Section 9 of Title 13, United States Code, requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly
confidential. We will use this information only for statistical purposes.

USCENSUSBUREAU
Helping You Make Informed Decisions

www.census.gov