Today is Census Day. Every 10 years since 1790, the U.S. Census Bureau has counted each person living in the United States. As a trusted Census partner, Providence encourages every person to complete the short census survey. In our previous article, we provided some important dates and context. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to take the survey.
How you can take the survey
It’s easier than ever this time, with options to complete the survey online, by phone or by mail. With many cities requiring residents to stay close to home due to COVID-19, the online or phone survey options may be useful. Your household should have received an official Census Bureau invitation to participate sometime in mid-March. If you can’t find the mailer, you can find help on the Census 2020 website.
Who is counted
The short answer is: everyone living in a household on April 1, 2020. Watch this Census Bureau video about the count.
Why it’s important
Here are just a few of the ways census data is used for health and wellbeing:
- Census information is used to decide where to build hospitals, community clinics, and other health care services.
- Data collected from the census is used to plan affordable housing.
- Schools use census data for school lunch programs and other important services for students.
- Providence and many other nonprofits depend on population counts to ensure the community has access to the right amount of needed resources, such as food or housing.
- Census data is used to decide federal funding for large healthcare programs like Medicaid and Medicare.
- Census counts are vital for evacuation planning and emergency preparedness.
If you have additional questions, visit www.2020census.gov.
We hope you will join us in shaping the future of health care.
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Related resources
Shape your future: A 2020 census story
Data security and confidentiality
Cultural diversity: African American audiences, American Indian and Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.
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