English Language Learners / Dual Language Learners / Multicultural Education Support – Language Lizard Blog

#COUNTALLKIDS – WHY THE UPCOMING CENSUS MATTERS

The 2020 US Census has been a hot topic in the news* because of a controversial citizenship question. The #CountAllKids campaign wants you to know why it’s absolutely essential that our nation’s children are counted.

 

Our Constitution mandates that the government will count its population once every decade, and our next Census will happen in 2020. Because of a controversial citizenship question announced by the US Census Bureau in March of 2018, there is the fear that millions of immigrants may decide not to complete their surveys. Already vulnerable, marginalized communities could go uncounted, leading to a massively skewed distribution of Congressional representation and federal funding.

There are also undercounting risks that will specifically hurt our nation’s children. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s website, “Researchers believe up to 2 million children under age 5 could be missed in the count…” Vital health insurance programs, foster care programs, low-income education programs, special education funding, and new school locations are just a few ways that children will be directly impacted by the Census results.

As the Count All Kids website states, “When we miss young children in the census, it has serious consequences for them, their families, their communities and our nation – with many of those consequences lasting for at least 10 years.” Go to their website to learn more about the upcoming US Census and to find out how you can support the #CountAllKids campaign.

*Note: At the time of publication, the ultimate fate of the citizenship question was still being argued in the court system.

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