May is Mental Health Awareness Month – The Week 2 newsletter focuses on mental health wellness. The Vermont Department of Mental Health, in collaboration with the Center for Health and Learning and the VT Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, is releasing newsletters on various mental health topics each week throughout May.

Gov. Phil Scott has ordered all schools to remain closed for to in-person instruction, but to continue to educate students remotely for the remainder of the school year.

Recent news reports show that only 42% of Vermonters have filled out the 2020 census, the fifth-lowest reporting rate nationwide. Census data guides local, state, and federal spending annually over the next ten years. These funding allocations affect over 300 programs, many that impact young children directly, like nutrition assistance, Medicaid, and Head Start.  In 2010, for each person not counted in the census, Vermont lost out on $2,309 in federal funding, more than any other state.

The underreporting of children ages 0-4 is an ongoing issue. The Census Bureau notes that “missing children in the census affects the community for the next 10 years. We want the programs that help support the foundations children need to be available during their formative years.”  

To respond to the census, visit 2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020.