It’s time to stand up and be counted. The 2020 Census began in March and closes July 30. Every ten years, the government performs a census, which is a count of every person in our country, not just citizens and voters, but everyone. It is so important that our founding fathers included the census in the first article of the U.S. Constitution.
Your identity remains anonymous. Census questions ask about your name, date of birth, race, sex, and the number of people living in your home. There is no question about citizenship, and even if there were, Census data cannot be used against you or your family. In fact, personal information gathered as part of the Census cannot be shared with anyone or any other federal agency, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Immigration or Customs Enforcement (ICE). Data is only released in summary tables; no individual records are released. (The penalty for wrongful disclosure is up to five years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.)
The Census is important. The Census data help determine how federal funds are spent, including support for schools, roads, parks, public health, transportation, neighborhood improvements, and more. Census results are also used to appropriately distribute political power in the U.S. House of Representatives, whose membership is based on population. California receives approximately $7 billion in federal aid per year, which helps close opportunity gaps for poor and at-risk children.
In Lake County, the census allows our schools to qualify for significant federal funding that supports at-risk students, special education, before- and after-school programs, and school nutrition programs. Traditionally, it has been hard to get accurate counts on children, especially homeless and foster youth. Yet it is so important because with accurate data, we can get the funding we need to care for the most vulnerable people in our communities.
It is easy to participate. The 2020 Census is the first one in history that allows people to participate online. Most people will receive a unique identifying number in the mail, which will allow them to complete the online form beginning in March 2020. For those without a computer at home, they can use one at a library or a location clearly identified as a Census Questionnaire Assistance Center.
Census Bureau employees will also visit some people at their homes. These employees will never ask for money and they will have a photo ID badge with a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. (If you suspect fraud, call 800-923-8282 to speak with a legitimate local Census Bureau representative.) For more information about the U.S. Census, visit census.gov.
The most important thing is that everyone in Lake County complete the form, either online or by answering questions from a Census Bureau employee, and that everyone includes their children in the count so Lake County can receive the funding it deserves.
