The 2010 census missed more than 10% of all children under age 5 in the U.S. When we miss young children in the census, it has serious consequences for them, their families, their communities and our nation β with many of those consequences lasting for at least 10 years. The U.S. Census Bureau needs adequate and timely resources to ensure a successful 2020 Census.
The Census community developed a letter, 2020 Census Memo, to urge Congress to provide adequate funding for the Census Bureau and the 2020 census. The memo states:
βAn accurate count requires sufficient resources; we believe $7.5 billion in new funding will meet that goal. But the timing of that funding also is critically important. The Census Bureau must have the certainty of full funding for the decennial census at the start of the fiscal year, so that it knows the level of resources it will have to conduct the count and can move ahead with final preparations without concern that its funding may fall short of need.β