Respondents who reported speaking a language other than English (question 14a in the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) were asked to indicate their English-speaking ability (question 14c in the 2018 ACS) based on one of the following categories: "Very well," "Well," "Not well," or "Not at all." Those who answered "Well," "Not well," or "Not at all" are sometimes referred as "Less than 'very well.'" Respondents were not instructed on how to interpret the response categories in this question.

This variable identifies households that may need English-language assistance. A "Limited English speaking household" is one in which no member 14 years old and over (1) speaks only English at home or (2) speaks a language other than English at home and speaks English "Very well."

After data are collected for each person in the household, the limited English-speaking household variable is calculated by checking if all people 14 years old and older speak a language other than English. If so, the calculation checks the English-speaking ability responses to see if all people 14 years old and older speak English "Less than 'very well.'" If all household members 14 and over speak a language other than English and speak English "Less than 'very well,'" the household is considered part of this group that may be in need of English language assistance. All members of a household are included in this group, including members under 14 years old who may speak only English or speak a language other than English at home and speak English "Very well."

Government agencies use information on language spoken at home and ability to speak English for their programs that serve the needs of those who have difficulty with English. Under the Voting Rights Act, data on language are necessary to meet statutory requirements for making voting materials available in minority languages. This Act directs the Census Bureau, using data about language spoken at home and the ability to speak English, to identify minority groups that speak a language other than English and to assess their Englishspeaking ability. The U.S. Department of Education uses the language data to prepare a report to Congress on the social and economic status of children served by different local school districts. State and local agencies concerned with aging develop health care and other services tailored to the language and cultural diversity of the elderly under the Older Americans Act.

Question/Concept History - The English Language Ability question has been the same since the beginning of the ACS. "Limited English-speaking households" has been calculated the same way in all years of ACS data collection, but has sometimes been termed "Linguistic Isolation" or "Households in which no one 14 and over speaks English only or speaks a language other than English and speaks English 'Very Well.'"

Limitation of the Data - Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) was included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations may have ability to speak English distributions that are different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the ability to speak English distribution. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population. Ideally, the data on ability to speak English represented a person’s perception of their own English-speaking ability. However, because one household member usually completes ACS questionnaires, the responses may have represented the perception of another household member.

Comparability - Caution should be taken when comparing language data from the ACS and 1980, 1990, and 2000 Censuses across time. Methodological changes to data collection in 2013 may have affected language data. Users should be aware of these changes when comparing data from 2013 or after to data from before 2013, or when using multi-year ACS data containing data from before and after 2013. For more information on comparability of language data, see the user note, "2013 Language Estimates." Though the term “Linguistic Isolation” is no longer used, data under this heading were tabulated in the same way as data under the heading "Limited English speaking households" or "Households in which no one 14 and over speaks English only or speaks a language other than English and speaks English 'Very well.'"

This was determined by a "Yes" answer to the question, "Does this person have any of his/her own grandchildren under the age of 18 living in this house or apartment?" This question was asked of people 15 years of age and over. Because of the low numbers of persons under 30 years old living with their grandchildren, data were only tabulated for people 30 and over.

This question determines if the grandparent is financially responsible for food, shelter, clothing, day care, etc., for any or all grandchildren living in the household. In selected tabulations, grandparent responsibility is further classified by presence of parent (of the grandchild).

The answer refers to the grandchild for whom the grandparent has been responsible for the longest period of time. Duration categories ranged from less than 6 months to 5 or more years.

Question/Concept History

This set of questions was added to the American Community Survey in 1999 to comply with legislation passed in the 104th Congress requiring that the decennial census program obtain information about grandparents who have primary responsibility for the care of their grandchildren.
The response categories for length of time caring for grandchildren were modified slightly between the 1999 and 2000 American Community Survey questionnaires to match the 2000 decennial census questionnaire. The question has remained unchanged since then.
Limitation of the Data - Before 2006, ACS grandparents data had a universe of people in households (which was the same as that in Census 2000). Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) was included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations may have grandparents as caregivers distributions that are different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the grandparents as caregivers distribution. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population.

Comparability

The data on grandparents as caregivers can be compared to previous ACS years and Census 2000 (with the potential limitation noted above about areas with a substantial GQ population).