News Release, Calvert County Public Information Office
PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – May 11, 2020 – The 2020 United States Census is underway and it’s not too late to visit my2020census.gov to fill out a census form and ensure every resident is counted once, only once and in the right place. Census data helps shape health decisions in the community including:
· How vaccines are allocated into communities
· Funding for nutrition-based services like school lunches and SNAP
· Emergency medical services
It is critical, more than ever, for citizens to fill out a census form. Responding to the census only takes about 10 minutes and is easy, safe, confidential and is important to providing our children, families and neighbors with the resources they need and deserve for the next decade. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the census has been extended through Oct. 31, 2020, to allow citizens more time to fill out the census form.
Citizens can fill out the census questionnaire online, by mail or phone by calling
844-330-2020. Callers may experience increased call wait times due to social distancing safety measures implemented for call center staff. The Census Bureau is offering a callback option to better respond to requests during periods of high call volume.
When the callback option is presented, simply provide your preferred phone number and time of day for a return call, and an official census representative will call you back to collect your response to the 2020 Census.
Ensuring that everyone is counted is vital to planning for public health and safety, schools, transportation projects, funding public programs, and ensuring equal representation in Congress.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census of the population be conducted once every 10 years. Census data is used to reapportion congressional representation among the states and determine how $675 billion in federal funds is distributed to states and local communities every year for services and infrastructure, including health care, jobs, schools, roads and businesses.
Calvert County currently has a 66% response rate, and the county’s self-response rate is higher than the national and state rates. The U.S. Census Bureau, who conducts the census, estimates that each adult and child not counted equates to about $1,825 per year in lost federal funding – a total of $18,250 per person over 10 years.
Citizens are encouraged to visit www.CalvertCountyMd.gov/Census to stay up to date on census information, its impact on the local community, why participation matters and more.