While we are getting very close to the 2020 Census, there is still time to get your state to help fund Census outreach. Connecticut just put money towards the Census, and advocates are seeking more. Maybe what happened in Connecticut can be a model in your state too. When one examines Connecticut state leaders’ efforts to ensure that everyone is counted in the 2020 Census, the phrase “progress, not perfection” comes to mind. “Progress,” because state officials recently announced that $500,000 in state funds would be transferred from five different state agencies to promote the Census. Combined with philanthropic funds that have been pledged, that brings the amount of money available to ensure an accurate count to about $1.6 million. “Not perfection,” because that still isn’t enough money. CT Voices for Children, an advocacy group that is organizing around the 2020 Census, has called for $3.57 million in funding — $1 dollar for each of the 3.57 million residents in the state. It wants state legislators to convene in special session to appropriate the money – because if they wait until their next regular session, it could be too late. Interestingly, state officials announced the $500,000 fund transfer the day after CT Voices for Children issued a comprehensive, 25-page report that explained why the Census is important and examined what would happen if an undercount occurs. And the announcement came the day after a story ran in the Connecticut Mirror citing the CT Voices report and raising the alarm about an undercount. Did one thing lead to another? We asked Emily Byrne, Executive Director of CT Voices.