U.S. Census Bureau partnership specialist Jason Dean will speak at the Newton Public Library, 7 p.m Wednesday, Nov. 20.

“I will be covering the how, when, why and where of the 2020 Census,” Dean said.

The “how” includes four different ways to respond to the Census, while the “when” includes information on the timeline. April 1, 2020, is “Census Day.”

As for the “why?” It’s right there in the U.S. Constitution, which calls for an “actual Enumeration” – a full count of the entire population – every 10 years.

Fulfilling a Constitutional requirement is not the only reason the Census is important, according to Dean. Census numbers affect federal budget allocations in dozens of different programs, including business and industry loans, crime victim assistance, and school breakfast and lunch programs, among many others.

To reach “hard to count” populations, the Census Bureau hires temporary employees and undertakes a variety of community outreach efforts, which Dean will outline.

Dean will also share information on how to avoid Census-related scams and gain confidence that mailings and phone calls you may receive are really from the U.S. Census Bureau.