Newborn babies and young children under five are often missed in the census. The 2020 Census will help determine which areas qualify for the critical resources that children and families depend on for the next 10 years—basically, an entire childhood!
Examples of resources that could be impacted include food assistance, Head Start programs, childcare, housing support, public schools, classroom technology, special education, after-school programs, school lunch assistance, early intervention services for children with special needs, children’s health insurance, and more. Knowing how many children there are and where they live is essential to getting those services and programs to them. That’s why it’s so important that every child is counted, even newborn babies.
If you have children in your home, make sure they are counted in the right place.
- The general rule is: Count children in the home where they live and sleep most of the time, even if their parents do not live there.
- If you've just had a baby, and your baby is still in the hospital on Census Day (April 1, 2020), then count your baby at the home where he or she will live and sleep most of the time.
- If children spend time in more than one home, count them where they stay most often. If their time is evenly divided, or if you do not know where they stay most often, count them where they are staying on April 1, 2020.
- If you are helping to take care of a friend's or family member's child, and the child does not have a permanent place to live, count the child if he or she is staying with you on April 1, 2020—even if it's only temporary.
We will continue to post important information regarding the 2020 Census over the next few months. If you have questions about the census, contact a Reference Librarian at your favorite library branch.
For more information about the 2020 Census and how it will impact children, review the materials in the list below.
