Everyone counts in Arlington. That's why The American Dream City is working to get an accurate count in the 2020 Census.

Children under five years old have been undercounted in the past. So the U.S. Census Bureau is working with partner agencies, including the City of Arlington, to reverse that trend. 

An accurate Census count affects nearly all areas of a child's life — helping fund everything from teachers and police to nonprofit groups and pediatric health research. Here's how the U.S. Census Bureau is working to make sure every child is counted in 2020.

Awareness

• The Census Bureau has designated March 25, 2020 as "Every Child Counts Day." Pediatricians across the country have committed to sharing information about the Census with their patients' families. 
• United Way chapters across the country will also be supporting efforts to obtain an accurate count. 
• Nonprofit group The Sesame Workshop, the group behind "Sesame Street", will also be promoting Census participation. 
• The Census Bureau launched a "Statistics in Schools" program, providing teachers with resources and lesson plans incorporating Census content
• There are also resources for students as young as Pre-K, including a 2020 Census Song

What's New in 2020?

You'll notice more advertising and support materials created for families with young children. The Census Bureau has also added language to the questionnaire, helping parents with their responses. There will be specific wording for foster parents, grandparents and other family models. Here's what to expect when your invitation to respond arrives:

• Count children in the home where they live and sleep most of the time, even if their parents don’t live there.
• If a child’s time is divided between two homes, count them where they stay most often. If they evenly divide their time, or you do not know where they stay most often, count them where they are staying on April 1, 2020.
• If a child moves during March or April 2020, count them at the address where they are living on April 1.
• Count children living in your home if they don’t have a permanent place to live and are staying with you on April 1, even if they are only staying temporarily.
• Count newborns at the home where they will live and sleep most of the time, even if they are still in the hospital on April 1.
• Remind neighbors to count all children living or sleeping in their home most of the time, regardless of who or where their parents are.

The U.S. Constitution mandates a Census of the population every ten years — nearly an entire childhood.

Beginning March 12, you will be able to respond to the Census over the phone, through the mail or online. Make sure every person in your household is counted. Because in Arlington, everyone counts.