The Census is more critical than ever.
The past few weeks have been unparalleled in modern history. Our state, our nation, and the entire world have been consumed the impact of COVID-19. Collectively, we confine ourselves in our homes, wondering how long until we will hug, shake hands, or even gather together again. Many of us are newly unemployed or facing unemployment in the near future, or are facing increased food or housing insecurity. There is a sense that the world is not the same anymore- that regardless of the outcome, our world is noticeably, irretrievably, different. And yet, life continues. Babies are born, children need to be fed, school starts each morning, in some form or another. Despite all of the uncertainty, we know that the future is still waiting for us. We know that the very same services that kept us afloat prior to the pandemic—our schools, our hospitals, our roads—will be especially critical once the pandemic recedes. And we know that the gaps in our infrastructure are starker than ever.
In the face of these challenges, the census—and the funding it dictates—couldn’t come at a more important time. But in 2010, The undercount of Vermont’s children in the census resulted in a loss of $2,300 per child per year in federal funding, more than any other state. In addition to funding for schools, hospitals, and roads, more than 300 federal programs use census data to determine how federal funds are allocated to state and local governments. We cannot afford to lose out this time. The research is clear—in the 2020 census count, children ages 0-4 are more likely to be missed than any other age group. There are 29,681 kids in Vermont under the age of 5 today. If the research bears out and even 10% of these kids aren’t counted, Vermont could be facing a serious loss of funding—$4,000 per missed resident. An accurate count is critical to the health and future of our state. Here is what we know:
The census happens only once every ten years. This means that if young kids aren’t counted, your community will have less funding for education, childcare, and other services children need for a decade, most of their childhood.
Census data helps local government plan for the future and determine where $1.5 trillion a year in federal funding goes, including allocations for school meals programs, SNAP/3Squares VT, Medicaid, Head Start, housing vouchers and rental assistance programs, LIHEAP heating assistance, WIC, childcare, public schools, and low-income housing - programs that so many in Vermont rely on. If the community isn't represented accurately, the programs won't be funded appropriately and will fall short when we need them, especially when we really need them.
You can fill out the census on your own schedule -it only takes about 10 minutes to complete. And there are multiple ways to complete it- by mail, over the phone, or online!
Your privacy is guaranteed. The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential. Every employee takes an oath to protect your personal information for life, and any current or former Census employee that releases individual data can go to prison for up to 5 years or pay a fine of up to $250,000.
By filling out the census, you ensure that census employees don’t have to come to your home during a time of social distancing.
Right now, the census count is already lagging behind where it should be, and we’re not catching up. As of two days ago, our overall response rate is 29.4% (compared to the national average of 36.2%), which means there are still over 150,000 households that have yet to reply to the Census in Vermont.
The census is critical to Vermont’s future, and it’s something you can easily do from home while social distancing!
Will you help us get out the count? Here’s what you can do:
Respond to the Census over phone, mail or online, and share that you did!
Take a look at Vermont's Census Response Rate Map to see how your county is doing.
Talk to your friends and family about why the census matters (using the talking points above).
Forward or share this message on social media.
Complete the #censuscount challenge by posting a picture of someone you can count on, sharing why the census matters to you, and tagging 3 others and encouraging them to do the same.
Check out the Count All Kids Census Toolkit for more facts and information.
Let's ensure that this time, ALL kids are counted and Vermont gets the resources it deserves!
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Looking for more resources during the COVID pandemic? Check out Voices' COVID-19 Resource Page