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Report Says Census Could Overlook 1 in 3 Texas Kids

US Census.Gov

TEXAS KID COUNT-  About  one  in  three kids under  the  age  of five  are  considered  to  be  at high  risk  of  being  undercounted in the 2020 Census.  This  finding  is  a  pretty  big  deal   for Texas  according  to  a  new "State of Texas Children" report  from  the  Center  for  Public Policy  Priorities.   Kristie Tingle  is  a  researcher for the children's  advocacy  group.   She  told public  radio's  Texas  Standard  the undercount  could lead to less help for Texas children in need. 

"It could also affect our funding for these programs that 

Credit Courtesy: CPPP-Texas
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Courtesy: CPPP-Texas
Kristie Tingle, Center for Public Policy Priorities-Texas

improve outcomes for kids.," explained Tingle. "I'm talking about programs like education, school lunches, Head Start, Medicaid, CHIP. All of that funding, a lot of it comes from the federal government, and it's based on that census data."

Concerns  about  an  undercount  come as the  Trump  administration  has  pushed  to  put  a citizenship  question  on  the  2020 census.  The Texas advocacy  group  is  recommending  the  state  form so-called  "complete  count  committees" – to  support a  more  accurate  count.  

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.