On May 1, Sophia Halkitis, CCC’s Data Analyst, testified in front of the New York State Complete Count Commission regarding methods to ensure a complete count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census.

Sophia’s recommendations included:

TARGET CENSUS OUTREACH IN SPACES WHERE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ALREADY VISIT.

By integrating Census outreach efforts into the spaces parents and caregivers visit regularly—schools, doctors’ offices, child care centers, recreational spaces and other  spaces that families visit—families can learn about the importance of completing their census form without deviating from their already busy routines.

DISSEMINATE CLEAR AND CONCISE TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT CENSUS FORMS.

Throughout the last year, we learned from service providers and librarians who are responsible for educating their community on the Census that they feel uninformed about the form and what resources will be available to them. These on-the-ground staff need clear and accurate information about the Census form questions, the mail form, accessing and navigating the online interface, and other technical details to anticipate where people will likely encounter difficulty with accurately completing their census form in order to train their outreach staff and establish messaging for their constituents.

PARTNER WITH NEW YORK’S NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY.

We appreciate the $20 million the state will invest in community outreach for the 2020 Census. However, we strongly encourage this investment go to already-trusted non-profits in communities with high hard-to-count populations.