Duval Counts Community Ambassador Newsletter

I August 2020 - Issue 9 I

Community Ambassadors: Call to Action

It is essential that you share with your community about why the Census is important, the benefits of completing the Census and how to respond accurately and safely. The Duval Counts Complete Count Committee has developed the Duval Counts Community Ambassador Newsletter to assist you with educating and motivating your coworkers, employees, family members and neighbors to self-respond to the 2020 Census.

Join us to ensure everyone in Duval County is accurately counted!

Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19

Important Census Dates to Know

July 1 - September 3 2020: Census takers will work with administrators at colleges, senior centers, prisons, and other facilities that house large groups of people to make sure everyone is counted.

August 11 – September 30, 2020: Census takers will interview homes that haven't responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted. If a household does not respond to any of the invitations, a census taker will follow up in person.

Click Here to Respond Online Now

Counting Our Children and Youth

How the 2020 Census Impacts Our

Children & Youth

Knowing how many children live in our community will provide the foundation for important policy and planning decisions over the next 10 years. In the 2010 Census, nearly 1 million children (4.6% of children under the age of 5) were not counted, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In fact, children under age five are one of the largest groups of under-counted people in the United States.

Counting our children will be vitally important in the 2020 Census because population statistics are used by local, state, and federal lawmakers to determine how to spend billions of dollars in federal and state funds annually over the next 10 years. Much of this money funds programs that directly affect children.

The 2020 Census count impacts the federal funds that communities receive each year for programs and services that are critical for schools, students, and younger children, such as:

Special education
Head Start
After-school programs
Classroom technology
Food assistance
Maternal and child health programs

Several major programs informed by Census Bureau statistics help college students, including:

Federal Pell Grant Program
Mental health services
Student wellness programs
Agriculture, science, and engineering education
Adult education grants

Because census results help determine where federal funds are distributed for programs that are important for children, an accurate count can shape their future for the next decade and beyond. It’s important to count children now so that they have the resources they need as they grow up. It all begins with responding to the 2020 Census.

How to Count Our Children & Youth

Census Bureau guidelines for counting college students:

College students who live on-campus in student housing facilities will be counted by their building representative. Students will be counted at the student housing where they usually live, even if they are away from their housing due to their school being temporarily closed due to COVID-19.

College students who live in an off-campus residence should self-respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. Students should count themselves at their off-campus address even if they go elsewhere for school breaks or if they are temporarily staying elsewhere, including with their parents, if their school is closed due to COVID-19.

Note: Relatives should not count college students staying with them during school breaks or during temporary school closures. They should only include children in college who live with them full time during the school year.

Census Bureau guidelines for counting children:

Count them in the home where they live and sleep most of the time, even if their parents do not live there.

If a child splits time between two homes, count them where they stay most often. If their time is evenly divided, or you don’t know, count them where they were staying on April 1, 2020.

If a child moves during March or April 2020, count them at the address where they were living on April 1, 2020.

Count children that do not have a permanent place to live and were staying with you on April 1, 2020, even if they were only staying temporarily.

Count newborns at the home where they will live and sleep most of the time, even if they were still in the hospital on April 1, 2020.

Include non-relatives, foster children, and children with no other place to live, even if they were only living at the address temporarily on April 1st.

How YOU Can Help

2020 Census Response Rate Map

The Response Rate Map was developed by the U.S. Census Bureau to provide daily updates on the 2020 Census self-response rate. Click on the orange button below to view updates on specific Census Tract(s) and to learn how Duval County compares to the rest of the state.

Response Rate Map

Sample Media Content & Resources

As a Community Ambassador, you play a critical role in the public education and outreach effort. It is essential that you share information about the 2020 Census with your community to ensure everyone in Duval County is accurately counted. Provided below are sample media content and resources for you to copy, paste, edit and share with your network.

Share fact sheets -

Counting Young Children

Flyer #1

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Counting Young Children

Flyer #2

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Counting College Students

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One Pager for College Students

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For social media -

Responding to the #2020Census can help shape resources for our children and our community over the next decade. This includes support for health insurance programs, hospitals, child care, food assistance, schools, and early childhood development programs. Respond online at my2020Census.gov. #MakeYourMark #DuvalCounts

Counting all kids is very important to the @USCensusBureau. If any children live in your home, make sure you count them on your #2020Census form. Respond online at my2020Census.gov. #MakeYourMark #DuvalCounts

In the 2010 Census, an estimated 5 percent of kids under the age of 5 weren’t counted. That’s about 1 million young children, the highest of any age group. We need your help closing this gap in the 2020 Census. Because census results help determine where federal funds are distributed for programs that are important for children, an accurate count can shape a child’s future for the next decade and beyond. Respond online at my2020Census.gov. #MakeYourMark #DuvalCounts