Highwood 2020 Census Focuses on Hard to Count Populations

The City of Highwood and the Highwood Public Library have kicked off a six-month campaign to ensure that each and every community member in Highwood, regardless of age, ethnicity, and income level are counted in this year's 2020 census.

The campaign is funded thanks to a $30,000 Census 2020: It Counts! grant from the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), the Pritzker Administration, and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), as well as funding from the City of Highwood. In applying for the grant, the Highwood Public Library put forth a unique plan involving its community partners and a commitment to ensuring a complete census count.

The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census is conducted every ten years by counting every individual residing in the US. The data collected through this effort is of extreme importance to the nation as it determines each state's number of representatives in Congress, the distribution of funds to state and local communities, the boundaries for voting and school districts, and countless other decisions that benefit all individuals.

For Highwood, the stakes are high: the allocation of federal funding for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, social services, transportation, and more will flow from an accurate count of residents.

"The 2020 Census will shape the future of Highwood, and it will take all of us working together to make it a success," said Carmen Patlan, Director of the Highwood Public Library. "At the library, we are training a group of bilingual ambassadors to knock on doors, greet residents at community events, and answer questions to ensure that each and every person is counted. We want residents to know that the Census is safe, easy, and extremely important."

The six-month census campaign will focus on connecting with three hard-to-count (HTC) populations: seniors, immigrants, and children under five years. To reach Highwood's immigrant families, Spanish speaking ambassadors will be visiting households in neighborhoods largely populated with Spanish-speaking families to ensure that they are educated, informed, and counted.

Highwood's youngest children will be another focus. Around five percent of children under the age of five were not counted in the 2010 Census, making it the highest of any age group with approximately one million uncounted young children. It is extremely important to count every individual, especially young children, because of the impact of funding for schools and the wider community. Since the Census only happens every ten years, the funding from this year's count will last most of a childhood.

"In a small city that works hard to provide high quality services for every resident, it is crucial that we understand who our residents are, and more importantly how many residents we serve," said Highwood Mayor Charles Pecaro. "Being counted by the U.S. Census literally means dollars to assist us to pay for our city's library, public works, police, and fire services."

The Census is confidential, safe, and risk free for all residents. There are no legal consequences for participating. The importance of a complete and accurate Census cannot be overstated. Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Census count impacts our most fundamental rights and ability to adequately plan for our collective future.

Starting March 26, residents can register online, at the Highwood Public Library during open hours, and at numerous events throughout the community. For more information, visit highwoodlibrary.org or call (847) 432-5404.