211 Call Center Care Coordination Increases Referrals for Children

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Early childhood developmental care coordination with the Information and Referral Federation of Los Angeles County 2-1-1 call center (211LA) is effective for helping families access services earlier than usual care alone, with benefits sustained at 24 months, according to a study published online Oct. 8 in Pediatrics.

Bergen B. Nelson, M.D., from the Children”s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, and colleagues recruited children aged 11 to 42 months without developmental delays from four clinic systems who were screened for developmental risk. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention (care coordination with 211LA; 282 children) or control (usual care alone; 283 children). The odds of referrals and receipt of services were estimated, adjusting for covariates.

Overall, 260 and 261 children in the intervention and control groups, respectively, were observed up to 24 months. The researchers found that by 24 months, more children assigned to intervention were referred to (43 versus 35 percent) and enrolled in (28 versus 20 percent) services. Children with moderate-to-high developmental needs drove the higher enrollment in services (54 versus 37.5 percent); earlier service receipt for intervention children was demonstrated in survival analyses.

“These results have important implications for potential widespread implementation to improve current systems and reduce inequities,” the authors write.

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