Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz went to Norwalk Monday to tell people to fill out the census forms or dozens of critical programs could be at risk.

Bysiewicz, along with Census officials, updated Connecticut's efforts to get people to respond.

"For each person that is undercounted in Connecticut, our state loses $2,900," said Bysiewicz. "And your viewers might be wondering, 'Well, where does that money go?' It goes to Medicaid, Head Start, federal school lunch programs."

Census cards will be sent out the week of March 12. The card will ask residents to go online to fill out the census or call a toll-free number.

Anyone who does not respond by April 8 will get the traditional paper form in the mail. Census officials will go to the homes of people who do not respond by early May.

Eva Bunnell, with the Census Bureau, says immigrants and renters are the toughest to count. She says sophisticated mapping software helps find them. Another group that's hard to count is children.

The state is looking to hire 21,000 census workers. The job is part-time and pays $25 an hour.