All Our Communities Benefit from the Census

Derek Michaels, Illinois Action for Children
Published: June 11, 2020

The 2020 Census is your opportunity to speak up for your community for the next 10 years.

Like voting, being counted in the 2020 Census is critical to achieving economic and political power. When residents complete the Census, they are saying we are here, we matter, and we demand a fair share of resources for our communities. Everyone should be counted, including all children, even newborns, noncitizens and people without documents. Filling out the Census says we demand equal funding for schools, lunch programs, housing and business development. If you want change, you must participate, and that means completing the Census and counting everybody in your home at 2020Census.gov.

Every 10 years we get our chance to participate in the U.S. Census. The Census is a count of every person living in the United States. The numbers are used to distribute billions of taxpayer dollars for services like LINK, Section 8, housing development and Medicaid. Census numbers are also used to allot political representation in Congress and set congressional district maps. This is where political power begins.

Illinois Action for Children (actforchildren.org) is working to make sure households with young children get counted. Children under five are the most overlooked and this means less money for childcare, preschool and school programs. This is especially true for Black and Latinx children who have been undercounted in every Census. This systemic undercount means less funding for these communities. Go to 2020Census.gov today to complete a survey for all the people living in your home – and count everybody.

People can complete the Census online in English, Spanish or 11 other languages. It’s quick and easy to complete on your laptop, tablet or cell phone. You can also phone or mail in your completed survey. The information you provide is not shared with other government agencies. That means the IRS, FBI, ICE, police or other law enforcement cannot see your answers. And it only takes a few minutes.

Do not give away your power. Be counted in the 2020 Census, tell your family, friends and coworkers to do the same. It will be 10 years before we get another chance to say we matter. Complete the Census today at 2020Census.gov.

Keywords: Census.gov, Census2020@actforchildren.org, ChildCare, Illinois Action for Children, schools