Sesame Street has had a long history of celebrating diversity and inclusivity in its programming. In the past, the show has addressed issues such as homelessness and now, in light of the 2020 census, Sesame Street is encouraging parents to participate in the census count with their children. During the last census, children under the age of 5 were the most undercounted age group, researchers said. Approximately a million or 4.6% of children under the age of 5 were not counted in the 2010 census, and the statistics were higher for minorities. If this trend continues, fewer services and federal funding will be available for programs that support education, health care, and nutrition for children in this age group.
Sesame Street aired bilingual public service announcements in English and Spanish on March 9 to emphasize the importance of census participation with muppets Count von Count, Elmo, and Rosita. The muppets used were chosen with intention. “Rosita is a bilingual Muppet. Elmo is popular and connected to young children and families, and the Count is so logical when it comes to being counted,” Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president of U.S. Social Impact, told the Associated Press.
In the announcements, Count von Count is portrayed as a census taker and explains how the census is his “favorite time of the decade.” Together, the popular muppets explain what the census is, who counts, and why it is important. “Counting everyone in your home helps support your neighborhood for the next 10 years funding things like schools, hospitals, and buses,” the Count says. The announcement emphasizes that the census is both easy to complete and “totally private.”
Sesame Street has historically created awareness of the U.S. census count since 1980 by having characters like Maria and Big Bird counting everyone in the neighborhood. This year, Sesame Workshop is also distributing flyers and other information on its website in addition to partnering with social workers, healthcare professionals, and teachers through its Seasame Street in Communities initiative.
“The census determines over $1 trillion in federal spending each year for programs that help give kids a strong start in life, and yet those who stand to benefit the most from an accurate count are the ones most likely to go uncounted,” Jeffrey D. Dunn, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop, said in a statement. “This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to help level the playing field and improve the collective well-being of our nation’s children.”
Minorities often go undercounted in the U.S. census and this year especially researchers found a multitude of obstacles that could lead to an undercount, NPR reported. Last year, the Trump administration campaigned to include a controversial citizenship question on the 2020 census asking, “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” The question raised concerns that undocumented immigrants would not participate in the census should such a question be included. The Supreme Court later ruled against including the question on census forms.
Lack of representation and participation in the census leads to a lack of funding or programing available for communities for an entire decade. Census totals are used to determine funding amounts for both local and state governments; without accurate numbers funding cannot be distributed adequately. According to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), “counts ensure that funding is equitably distributed for numerous programs such as Medicaid, highway planning and construction, special education grants to states, the National School Lunch Program, and Head Start.” In relation to children, the census count represents how much funding will be allocated to school lunches, educational programming, and grants for special education. If numbers are inaccurate or underreported, programs will continue to be underfunded or may even be cut due to a lack of funds.