The United Census and Dora the Explorer wants everyone to be counted. In partnership with the Census Bureau, Nickelodeon has produced television and radio public service announcements, Web buttons and fact sheets in which Dora and her friends remind families that “everybody counts on the census form, especially little kids.” All materials are available in English and Spanish.
According to a press release by United States Census, children 5 and under have been under-reported on every previous United States Census taken since its inception in 1790. Knowing how many children there are helps the government deliver the right programs to areas where they are needed.
Census data are used to determine the allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funding annually, including $26 billion for educational services and other programs focused on children. Some of these programs include:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: $16.5 billion
- Title I grants for education: $12.8 billion
- Special education: $10.8 billion
- Women, Infants, and Children: $5.5 billion
- Title IV-E Foster Care: $4.7 billion
- Child Care & Development Block Grant: $5 billion