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Counting Young Children: Responding to the 2020 Census can help provide critical resources for children and their communities over the next decade

Counting Young Children

Think about the babies who will be born in 2020.

The first smiles. The first steps. The first words. In the years to come, some may need day care, after-school care, or school lunch programs. And all children will need safe communities in which to grow and thrive.

That’s why it’s so important that we count newborn babies and young children accurately. Responding to the 2020 Census can help shape resources for children and their communities over the next decade. This could include support for health insurance programs, hospitals, child care, food assistance, schools, and early childhood development programs.

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 usually 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 was still in the hospital on 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 usually stay most often. If their time is evenly divided, or if you do not know where they stay most often, count them where they were 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 was staying with you on April 1, 2020—even if it’s only temporary.

A complete count of young children is important, but difficult. Learn more by visiting  opens in a new windowResearch on the Undercount of Young Children.

Montgomery Counties current self-response rate is 72.8%.   opens in a new windowRespond now

2020 United States Census

People living in the United States should have received the 2020 Census form by mail with details on how to respond.

The Census records where people live on a particular date: Census Day, April 1, 2020. So no matter when you respond to the Census, it’s asking for where you resided on Census Day.

From May through July, census takers will visit homes that haven’t responded to help make sure everyone is counted.

Help and FAQs.
Respond online.
Respond by phone.

The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. The 2020 Census will count everyone who lives in the U.S. as of April 1, 2020. Census statistics help determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local, and federal lawmakers every year for the next 10 years.

Thank you for your continued support!  Please stay safe and be well!