Advocates for Children of New Jersey Statewide Census Outreach to Count Young Children

In the last United States census, over 1 million children under the age of 5 went uncounted, including more than 27,000 young children in New Jersey. For those children, the impact of undercounting can be profound, as census data is used to determine funding levels for programs such as CHIP, Head Start, SNAP, and WIC and to direct those resources to the communities that need them most.

The Burke Foundation is proud to support the Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) in efforts to ensure that all young children are counted in the 2020 Census. ACNJ is an organization dedicated to educating policymakers, empowering stakeholders, and engaging the public to advocate on behalf of children.

In the lead-up to the 2020 Census, funding from the Burke Foundation supports ACNJ in conducting local outreach efforts in hard-to-count communities, facilitating train-the-trainer sessions, and developing materials for use by ACNJ and their local partners throughout the state. Together, these efforts aim to guarantee that every child is counted.

With the support of organizations throughout New Jersey, we can achieve a more accurate count of young children. The 2020 Census represents a key moment in time, with census data informing decision-making not just for the next year, but for the next decade. These data, together with learnings and trends identified in reports such as Trenton Kids Count 2019, will enable policymakers, funders, and community-based organizations to make more informed decisions and develop more effective solutions to support children throughout the state.