Almost a quarter of the nation's children younger than 5 are at risk of not being counted in the 2020 census, which could have serious implications for the well-being of children around the United States, according to a recent study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The problem has grown worse over the last four decades, experts said. In 2010, the census failed to count nearly 1 million children younger than 5. Experts warn that it could exceed that number in 2020.
"Undercounting young children has gotten worse every census since 1980. Without intervention, it's going to get worse in the 2020 census," said Laura Speer, associate director for policy reform and advocacy at the Casey Foundation and co-author of the report.
Below is a deeper look into the reasons young children have been undercounted and what's at stake in the 2020 census.
