What is the 211 Warmline?
The 211 Warmline is a collaborative initiative led by the District of Columbia’s Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) in partnership with other key District agencies. Together, these agencies strive to create a unified social services network to support residents with centralized access to resources and referrals.
History of the 211 Warmline & Community Response
We envision a future in the District of Columbia where community-based organizations, non-profits, for-profits, and government agencies collaborate seamlessly to better support children and families.
The 211 Warmline is part of a broader initiative led by CFSA, known as Keeping DC Families Together (KDCFT), which aims to shift from a traditional child welfare model to a child and family well-being system with the goal of connecting families to needed resources without the trauma of unnecessary child welfare involvement.
Keeping DC Families Together
The KDCFT Steering Committee, led by CFSA in collaboration with community members, government agencies, non-profits, and advocates, oversees the development of DC’s Child and Family Well-Being System. The vision guiding this initiative is as follows:
“We aspire to create a caring, diverse community comprised of residents, community-based organizations, and government agencies – each with unique roles and strengths – working together in seamless coordination to ensure that all individuals, children, and families thrive in DC.”
Key priorities of the KDCFT Initiative include:
- Empowering the community to actively participate in conceptualizing and designing DC’s child and family well-being system.
- Collaborating with community-based organizations and individuals with lived experience to shape policy and practice changes.
- Strengthening families by building resilience and providing access to essential resources.
- Launching the 211 Warmline as a dedicated service for social needs, with the goal of connecting families to supportive services, thus reducing unnecessary child welfare involvement.
- Partnering with community organizations to implement a District-wide community response model that offers comprehensive support and prevention services to families across all 8 Wards.
- Establishing a child and family well-being system that ensures all individuals, children, and families thrive in DC.