Child Trends statement on decision to include citizenship question on 2020 Census

March 28, 2018

Child Trends President Carol Emig released the following statement in response to the announcement that the 2020 Census will ask respondents whether they are U.S. citizens:

“An accurate, non-biased census count is essential to ensuring fair funding for programs that support the health and safety of our children. The decision to include a question about citizenship threatens our ability to gain an accurate picture of our nation, especially when it comes to our children and families. The census maps the diversity of our country by age, race and ethnicity, geography, household structure, and income. We should not chart our children’s future with an incomplete and inaccurate map.”

The census population count is used to allocate an estimated $600 billion in federal assistance to states and communities, including programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program; Head Start; the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and the Child Care and Development Block Grant.