Why the Count Counts: Federal Funding and the 2020 Census

Why the Count Counts: Federal Funding and the 2020 Census More than $3 billion each year come to Massachusetts from the federal government directly based on census counts.These funds support education, health care, transportation, housing, and more in our communities. Howevever, Massachusetts communities are at risk of an undercount in the 2020 Census. If we do not get a complete and accurate count of every single person living in the state, we are at risk of losing out on these critical resources. In our latest brief, Why the Count Counts: Federal Funding and the 2020 Census, we provide an in-depth look at several key federal funds vulnerable to a census undercount. Key findings from the brief include: Young children are particularly vulnerable to being missed in the census. As many as 20,000 young children were missed in Massachusetts in the 2010 Census;  Funding for Head Start, WIC, special education, Title I dollars for our local schools, are all directly affected by census population counts;  If the Census 2020 counts are wrong, Massachusetts risks losing out on this funding for a full decade - essentially an entire childhood; and Low-income communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color have historically been undercounted in the census.  To read the full Why the Count Counts brief, visit our website here. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 1 STATE STREET, SUITE 1250 BOSTON, MA 02109

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 1 State Street, Suite 1250, Boston, MA 02109