This column originally appeared in The Alpena News on April 3, 2019.
On Monday, the Michigan League for Public Policy joined a variety of other state and national advocacy groups, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), the Partnership for America’s Children, and the Michigan Nonprofit Association, to hold a Census Day of Action to draw attention to the 2020 Census and the importance of making sure all kids are accurately counted.
That’s because one year from now, on April 1, 2020, the 2020 United States Census will be getting underway. And when it does, there will be a tremendous amount at stake for our kids, our state and federal budgets, and Michigan.
Every 10 years, the federal government conducts a census to track changes in population and demography, and this data is used for important determinations related to how federal, state and local governments allocate their resources, essential public research, and the determination of future political representation.
What’s at stake?
Young children and those living in high-poverty communities are more likely to be missed in the Census process, and according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s national 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book, about 62,000 young children in Michigan are at risk of not being counted. About 11% of young children in our state live in hard-to-count areas. It’s even higher in Detroit: 70% of young children are at high risk of being missed. What’s at stake if all children aren’t counted? Over $4 billion in federal funding that is based on an accurate count of children to determine the need for programs and services, including child care, Medicaid and school lunch.
Based on new data from the Partnership for America’s Children and Count All Kids, Michigan has already been paying the price for undercounting our kids in 2010. They estimated that the 2010 Census should have counted 10,172 additional children under age 5, and that that undercount has cost us more than $9.7 million each year in funding from just five of the many federally funded programs for children and families (Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program/CHIP, foster care, adoption assistance, and a portion of the child care block grant).
Immigrant children and those whose primary language may not be English are already undercounted, and with the proposed inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census survey, the undercount will likely be even worse. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in April in the New York lawsuit against Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, with a decision expected in June. But regardless of the legal outcome, the seeds of confusion and intimidation have already been planted and we need to work extra hard to weed out that bad information.
What can you do?
Reading (or even skimming) this was a good start! Understanding the importance of the 2020 Census and why it’s so imperative to make sure all of our kids are counted is the cornerstone of becoming an advocate. You can follow and echo #countallkids, #Census2020 and #CountMeIn on social media to spread the word, along with sharing this helpful blog and video.
Talk to your neighbors, coworkers and partner organizations about the 2020 Census, especially if you work with communities of color, immigrants or residents with lower incomes. Stress the value of making sure everyone is counted, and help diffuse some of the anxiety about the process.
Or even better, help improve the Census from the inside by applying for a Census field job. Local field workers know their communities best, and are instrumental in conducting surveys with residents on a variety of topics. Click here to learn more and apply.
The League has been working closely with the Michigan Nonprofit Association’s Be Counted Michigan 2020, which has a variety of helpful information and resources for advocates and interested residents in Michigan. They have compiled a Google Drive folder of Census Day of Action toolkits and resources, including materials in Spanish, from various organizations. This includes talking points, letter to the editor templates, shareable graphics for social media and more.
Be Counted Michigan also recently held and recorded a webinar with a high-level Census official to address some important topics and common questions, like when and how will families be notified that they must complete the Census questionnaire, what are the basic ways that families can fill out the Census questionnaire, where should a child be counted if they split their time between two or more residences, and how can child care centers, schools, and other organizations that work with families help make sure young children are counted?
Census data informs much of the League’s work. But the statistics, the policies they inform, and the money they generate for our state, our residents and our kids are only effective if they’re accurate. And in 2020, counting all kids will be more crucial than ever.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
