Happy New Year! It's finally 2020, Census year. You've been preparing and now it's here. While the Census will occur throughout the year, in some parts of the country the count will begin as early as this month.
New research shows that much work needs to be done to help families understand the importance of participating in the Census. Child care providers and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) can play an important role sharing these messages.
In 2010, the Census missed over two million children age 4 and under, resulting in a loss of half a billion dollars of funding for communities and families each year over the last decade. Participating in the Census, and ensuring all children are counted, helps local government plan for the future and determine where federal funding goes. When children are counted in the Census, local schools and the early childhood education system can plan, and receive enough funding, for all children.
Take a look at what’s in store for the month of January:
News & Updates
- Last month, Congress appropriated $7.6 billion for the Census Bureau. CCAoA joined advocates asking for this investment, which is needed to properly finance this year’s count.
- In January, the Census Bureau begins counting in remote Alaska. Why so early? Frozen ground allows for easier travel and access for many of these villages.
- Large tech companies such as Google and Facebook have announced they will take steps to combat disinformation on the Census, including actively removing incorrect or misleading census information from their platforms.
One Thing You Must Do: Find and Join Your Complete Count Committee
The Complete Count Committees (CCC) program is key to creating awareness in communities all across the country. CCCs utilize local knowledge, influence, and resources to educate communities and promote the Census through locally based, targeted outreach efforts. They also provide a vehicle for coordinating and nurturing cooperative efforts between tribal, state, and local governments; communities; and the Census Bureau. CCCs help the Census Bureau get a complete count in 2020 through partnerships with local governments and community organizations.
New Resources:
- Write this down: National bilingual hotline and website - 1-877-EL-Censo and https://hagasecontar.org/.
- Print and post: Census awareness resources for educators.
- Order: We Count! coloring books.
- Learn more:
- From the League of Women Voters - 3 Ways to Get Involved in 2020 (English and Spanish) and Census 101 Factsheets (English and Spanish)
Come back to this blog each month through April where we will provide updates, resources, and highlight at least one important step that should be taken.
