Getting Out The Count During Social Distancing

Digital Briefs

April 14, 2020

During the COVID-19 public health crisis and the required social distancing that has come with it, CCC and our 2020 Census partners have shifted our strategies to digital/remote engagement.

For example, on Census Day (April 1), our Youth Action members held their Get Counted #YouthActionDay2020, an event that included a social media takeover and a video blog on the reasons why young people should care about the Census.

CCC also joined the New York Counts 2020 and Count All Kids Census coalitions to Get Out the Count digitally on social media. Count All Kids reported that on Census Day more than 800 accounts were either tweeting or retweeting, with more than 400 original tweets that reached potentially 9 million people.

Census Day was one impactful part of the collective efforts put in place in recent weeks to get the message out in the midst of unprecedented circumstances.

Latest Census Self Response Rates As of

National Self-Response Rate:

New York State Self Response Rate:

New York City Response Rate: 0%

The New York City response rate means that we are already more than halfway to surpassing the 2010 self-response rate and more than a third of the way to counting all New Yorkers.

However, our momentum can’t stop here.

New York State has 27 of the top 100 counties in the country with the highest risks of young children being undercounted in the 2020 Census representing just over 140,000 children 0-4. With New York State in a state of emergency and practicing social distancing, we must continue to ensure our digital Census strategies are working toward the ultimate goal: ensuring all children are counted in the 2020 Census.

Digital Census Strategies

CCC has created several resources you can use to pivot your Get Out the Count strategies:

Check out our 2020 Census Resource Page: With the Census being extended through August 14th, 2020 CCC will be available to support you remotely, provide trainings or conduct online presentations to your staff and community. You can visit our Census Resource Page for the latest webinars and content published. You can email us at crosales@cccnewyork.org to organize a digital event.
Talk About the Census with Your Network and Followers via Email & Social Media: During Census Day, CCC’s Youth Action members organized the Get Counted #YouthActionDay2020 and created a Get Counted Toolkit that provides step-by-step instructions on how to take action on social media, via e-mail, and over the phone with texts. While some content was written with Census Day in mind, you can adapt messages there to reflect Census messages that work for you over the next several months.
Organize a Phone Banking Event or Incorporate Census Messaging into Your Phone Calls, Video Chats and/or Voicemail Messages: CCC has also developed a Phone Banking & Messaging Guide that provides you with comprehensive instructions on organizing a GOTC phone bank, sample scripts you can use, shorter scripts you incorporate into other outreach calls, live streams, or voicemail messages; and useful resources and links you can refer to.
Check in with 3 Friends, Neighbors, or Loved Ones Many of us are using zoom, facetiming, calling, or joining a Houseparty to stay in touch with the people we care about. While you are checking-in on how someone you know is doing, remind them about the Census and the three ways to complete their form:
1. online by visiting my2020census.gov
2. via phone by calling 844-330-2020
3. mailing back the paper form if they received one

Why Is This Important?

An undercount jeopardizes federal resources for programs supporting nutrition, child care, education, health care, housing, and others that are essential in the city’s efforts to promote positive health and development outcomes for all children.

Given the concerns around access to health care and human service supports that are front and center due to COVID-19, now is an important time to ensure that every New Yorker has information about the importance of completing the Census.

What Other Census Resources Are Available?

Many Census advocates have also been hard at work to create content people and organizations can access to support their pivot towards digital engagement. Here are some external resources available with more to come: