The next Census will take place in April 2020. Babies and young children are most likely to be missed. In 2010, almost 1 million children under age 5 were not counted in the census. Children who are black or Hispanic or living in low-income communities were most likely to be missed.
If young children aren’t included now, they may go their entire childhood without being counted. You can act now to help encourage families to make sure their children are counted.
What you can do
- Find out what is already going on in your community. Contact your local census complete count committee or talk to community leaders.
- Encourage families to fill out the census and include their babies and all the children living with them.
- Put up posters in your office and distribute flyers that explain why it is important and how it affects children’s services in their communities.
- Make tablets available in your waiting room to allow families to complete the census online. This year it is expected that more people will complete the form online.
- Talk to community leaders about getting the word out to families.
- Learn what some chapters are doing.
Resources You Can Use
Information for Parents from HealthyChildren.org: Census 2020: Making Sure All Kids Are Counted
Sharable videos in multiple languages: 2020 Census Integrated Communications Campaign Press Kit
Print materials and videos for families: 2020 Census Kit from Sesame Workshop
Why the census matters for children
The Census numbers determine how over $883 billion federal dollars is distributed to states and counties for critical child health and development programs including:
- Medicaid
- Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Head Start (HS) and Early Health Start (EHS)
- National School Lunch Program
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
- Foster Care and related services under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act
- Child Care and Development Block Grant
- Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant
When young children are not counted, local communities and neighborhoods do not get their fair share of funding.
See how it impacts your state or community
- States Ranked By Under Count
- View the census maps of hard to count counties
Partners and resources
- Federation of Pediatric Organizations
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Count All Kids
- National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
For more information on AAP census activity, contact cbi@aap.org.