Recorded on 3/20/20, Steve Adubato is joined by Kiki Jamieson Ph.D., President of The Fund for New Jersey, to discuss the critical need for everyone to respond to the Census in order to be counted and the impact of the public health crisis on the 2020 Census.

Jamieson says, “It’s constitutionally required that every 10 years the United States counts every single resident within our borders. No matter how old or young, no matter the race or ethnicity, religion, gender, everybody counts and everybody needs to be counted. This is important because the counts that result will determine our representation for the following 10 years.” That includes how many Congress people represent New Jersey, where the state representatives are in each state, and how the money is distributed to each state for things like healthcare, schools, roads, and many other areas.

The Census impacts all children and child care. Unfortunately, in the last Census, children under the age of five were the least likely to be counted. Jamieson says there are several reasons that these children aren’t being counted, especially those in transitory situations, like staying with a grandparent or in foster care. This causes major issues because funding for healthcare, child care, and preschools is based off of the Census’ numbers and this funding is established for the next decade.

The COVID-19 health crisis has left many people hesitant to complete their 2020 Census form. For the first time ever, she says we can complete the Census forms in our own homes. You can give your information over the phone, respond online, or in paper form.