The CICs provide an effective vehicle for the dissemination of information and data produced by the U.S. Census Bureau to under served communities.  The CIC Program is a cooperative program between the U.S. Census Bureau and non governmental organizations that make census information and data available to the public.

The CIC Program, started in 1988 as a pilot project, makes census information available to under served communities whose utilization of census information was severely limited. The concept was to establish census data repositories using community based organizations. The CIC Program strives to address two fundamental concerns: a lack of access and use of census data and a lack of participation in Census Bureau censuses and surveys by under served communities.  These same communities represent those in our society that experience persisting socioeconomic disadvantages.  The situation has been aggravated by their lack of access to public information resources that might help to improve their lives. The CIC program is designed to broaden delivery of information and analysis of the socioeconomic conditions of under served communities. It is an impressive demonstration of a public-private partnership in the service of social needs, at a time when such relationships are becoming a major public policy priority.