North Dakota Kids Count - Dr. Tom Seymour

Dear Tom,

Our thoughts are with those who are coping with the spring floods. We are eager to see the hope of nature in full bloom.

Highlights of this newsletter include:

2010 Census – make sure children are counted!
Be an advocate for kids: advocacy training
Locating assistance for low-income families
Tax credits for North Dakota families
Week of the young child

2010 Census: Make sure children are counted!

Local communities rely on census information in planning for schools, child care, health, and other critical services. Each year the U.S. government uses census data to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds nationwide. Unfortunately, children have been undercounted in every census since the first one in 1790. When young children are missed in the census, resources for children and communities are diminished.

All infants and children need to be recorded as residents of a household or family on April 1, which is Census Day. Children need to be counted at their usual place of residence, which is where they most often reside during the year.

For example if the child resides most of the time in one of the following situations, the adult is responsible for including the child in their census report:

Lives with grandparents
Parents are divorced and have joint custody (the primary parent should count the child)
Child custody is equally shared (the child should be reported at the parent’s residence he or she is at on April 1)
Children not part of the family they live with (such as children in foster care or children living with relatives other than their parents) should be reported as a member of the household if that is their usual residence.

The 2010 census offers a chance to improve on the past and make sure the youngest members of our society are fully counted. Unlike other groups that may be undercounted in the census, young children have no voice in the process. They are totally dependent on the rest of us to make sure they are counted accurately.

Be an Advocate for Kids:
Advocacy Training across North Dakota in April

You are invited to participate in child advocacy training sponsored by North Dakota Children’s Caucus and Children’s Defense Fund-North Dakota. Meetings are from 6:30-8:30 p.m. with refreshments provided.

April 6 – Dickinson – Gate City Bank (lower level), 204 Sims
April 13 – Jamestown – Buffalo Mall Community Room, I-94 & 281
April 20 – Bismarck – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall), Washington and Divide Avenue (park on south side of church)
April 22 – Minot – Head Start Building (gymnasium) 2815 East Burdick Expressway
April 27 – Grand Forks – County Office Building (6th floor conference room) 151 South 4th Street
April 29 – Fargo – Fargo/Cass Public Health (Room 3, lower level), 401 3rd Avenue North

You will learn:
– Key time frames for effective advocacy
– Do’s and don’ts of working with public officials
– Strategies for effective communication with policy makers
– Key children’s issues for 2011 Legislative session

Locating Assistance for Low-Income Families

People experiencing tough economic times need assistance and additional resources.

We all know people who have difficulty making their income stretch to meet basic needs. This online eligibility screening tool is a convenient and efficient way to help individuals and families with limited incomes determine their eligibility for assistance programs such as medicaid, children’s health insurance, food assistance, home energy assistance, earned income tax credits and more.

We invite you to visit North Dakota Bridge to Benefits web site at:
http://nd.bridgetobenefits.org/.

Take a minute to look at this handy online screening tool and share the information with others.

Tax Credits for North Dakota Families

Families in North Dakota could get thousands of dollars in tax credits. Whether or not you owe income tax, if you work and have children you could qualify for:

The federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit
Up to $5,657 from the federal Earned Income Tax Credit
Up to $1,000 per child from the federal Child Tax Credit

To get these credits, you must file a tax return. Find out how to get FREE help with your taxes by calling the IRS toll-free at 1-800-829-1040.

Our Mission
The mission of North Dakota KIDS COUNT is to provide accurate, current data on child well-being in order to inform local and state discussions about how to secure better futures for all of North Dakota’s children.
If you have any suggestions about ideas for future North Dakota KIDS COUNT publications or have ideas about how we might reach new and wider audiences for our materials, please feel free to contact us at ndkidscount@yahoo.com.

North Dakota KIDS COUNT web site
www.ndkidscount.org

Know someone who would benefit from using our resources?

Please forward this newsletter to them and encourage them to join our mailing list by contacting us at ndkidscount@yahoo.com.

Contact Information

North Dakota KIDS COUNT Staff:
Polly Fassinger, Program Director
Helen Danielson, Network Liaison
Richard Rathge, Policy Analyst
Ramona Danielson, Research Analyst

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