Census Bureau Notes Importance of Counting Children
Although April 1 has come and gone, it’s not too late to respond to the 2020 Census. Those who haven’t responded already, should be sure to be counted and respond now at my2020census.gov or complete and return the paper questionnaire the Census Bureau may have sent earlier.
Those who are unable to respond online or need assistance, can call toll-free 1-844-330-2020.
The U.S. Census Bureau is working to ensure the 2020 Census counts all children living in Tulare County.
Being counted in the census impacts childhood services for the next 10 years. According to the Census Bureau, an estimated 1 million children under the age of 5 weren’t counted in the last census. Young children are also at risk of not being counted in the 2020 Census, especially those with complex living arrangements like dividing their time between divorced parents or living with multiple families under one roof.
Results of the 2020 Census will determine federal funds Tulare County communities receive for services including those that benefit children, such as Head Start, special education, after-school programs, school lunch assistance, children’s health insurance, child care, and housing support.
There are many reasons young children are undercounted in the census. Research shows children living with large, extended families or with multiple families under one roof are at greater risk of being missed. These children may have more than one home and may not be related to the person responding to the census for their household.
Children living in linguistically isolated or lowincome households and those who recently moved may also be missed in the count. Babies under 3 months old may be at an even higher risk of not being counted.
Here are Census Bureau guidelines for counting children:
Count them in the home where they live and sleep most of the time, even if their parents don’t live there.
If a child splits time between two homes, count them where they stay most often. If their time is evenly divided, or unknown count them where they were staying on April 1.
If a child moved during March or April, count them at the address where they were living on April 1.
If children who don’t have a permanent place to live and are staying with someone on April 1 they should count those children even if they were staying temporarily.
Count newborns at the home where they will live and sleep most of the time, even if they were still in the hospital on April 1.
Local parents and educators can also learn more about the importance of counting young children at https://www.census. gov/programs-surveys/ sis/2020census/2020-resources/pre-k/countingchildren/counting-youngchildren-fact-sheet.html and https://www.census. gov/programs-surveys/ sis/2020census/2020-resources/pre-k/countingchildren/counting-youngchildren-faq.html