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Our Work
211 Illinois' Role
211 Illinois is the lead entity for a 211 network in Illinois. Our network includes six regional contact centers that help people in need of assistance access services. We support statewide collaboration and service delivery among local partners through shared infrastructure, funding support, and best-practice guidance. 211 Illinois is financially supported by public and private funds at the statewide and national opportunities.
Through a combination of donations, grants, and contracts, 211 Illinois provides local partners with support in the following areas:
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211 advocacy and education
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Data reporting
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Legal and regulatory support
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Service oversight and quality monitoring
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Training and technical support
211 Service Act Implementation
The 211 Service Act was signed into law in 2010. The law authorizes DHS to identify, designate, and contract with a lead entity to provide governance and oversight, including the ability to design, implement, support, and coordinate a statewide 211 system. 211 Illinois has been identified by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) to serve as the lead entity to administer the 211 Service Act legislation. 211 Illinois has fulfilled this role since 2010 and continues to ensure all Illinoisans receive free and confidential 211 services in Illinois.
The 211 Service Act was amended and signed into law on August 1, 2025. Click the learn more button to read about the 211 Service Act.
211 Number Designation & Routing
The law grants the Illinois Department of Human Services the authority to choose a lead entity to manage the use of the 211 dialing code for the purpose of providing the public access to information about health and human services.
211 Illinois has been charged with:
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Managing the use of the 211 dialing code.
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Authorize any changes to how the 211 number will be used,
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Assign 211 in local service areas,
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Approve 211 Service Providers in Illinois, and
- Ensure statewide routing of the 211 number.
We work hard to ensure every Illinoisian has access to 211 services. Please let us know if you are a local 211 planning partner interested in submitting a request for 211 service area or service provider changes. We will review your application and work with you to find an approved 211 service provider in Illinois.
211 Service Oversight
211 Illinois coordinates statewide and federal funding to enable the provision of 211 services 24 hours a day. This includes reaching our goal of 100% coverage of 211 services availability in Illinois.
We work hard to design, implement, support, and coordinate a statewide 211 system in Illinois. This includes oversight into 211 service delivery, expansion of 211 services, enhancing 211 service quality, improving the quality of 211 services, and taking corrective actions to mitigate 211 service concerns. As a convener, funder, and collaborative partner, we monitor 211 performance, community trends, and share data from across Illinois.
Our online statewide health and human services directory, powered by the 211 data, brings together local information and referral directories from across Illinois into a single directory.
211 Guidance & Technical Support
We provide guidance and technical support to the statewide 211 network regarding accreditation, standards, and best practices. We invest in training, education, and best practices for 211 contact centers. We collaborate with approved 211 Service Providers on service alignment, standardization, and continuity of 211 services in illinois. We achieve this by convening our network workgroups monthly to address quality issues and enhance client experience across Illinois.
211 Illinois hosts monthly meetings to support 211 staff at various levels, facilitate skill improvements, and focus on statewide service improvement. We also publish guides to support knowledge and skill improvement for our network and funding partners, such as United Way, Health Departments, and local elected officials, on 211 requirements and best practices for contact centers.