Treeby Williamson Brown, MA, consultant, 2265 Idylwood Station Lane, Falls Church, VA 22043, 703/641-0727, treebybrown@earthlink.net and Meg Booth, MPH, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, 1220 19th Street NW Suite 801, Washington, DC 20036.

All states are required to maintain a toll-free hotline to provide information and referrals to families about maternal and child health services. State maternal and child health programs are required to report in their annual Title V block grant a count of calls they receive on these lines but little research has been done to identify information being provided by these lines. States vary widely in their implementation of this requirement, with some states significantly expanding their hotlines to include a variety of parenting support, referral services, and program linkages. AMCHP has initiated a 50-state assessment to determine the extent to which Title V hotlines link families wtih early childhood services. The study consists of three linked research activities: a 50-state survey of state Title V programs, state case studies of hotlies with innovative strategies, and actual parent calls to all 50 state hotlines using a predetermined scenario. Survey results provide an overview of the structure of Title V hotlines, examples of innovative state hotlines, and analysis of the parent calls including recommendations on what hotine services truly help families. Recommendations will also be provided regarding how states and the MCHB can improve the ability of hotlines to meet the needs of families, through information sharing across states, promoting parent involvement, and other methods.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• describe the structure and services of Title V Hotlines, how they serve families with young chidren, and understand how Title V funded hotlines link to other hotlines (e.g. CSHCN, Early Childhood)
• Articulate specific examples of state models for meeting the needs of families with young children (e.g. parent specialist on-site)
• Understand the experience of a parent calling a Title V hotline with a pre-determined problem/scenario.
• Recognize areas of unmet needs with respect to families with young children calling Title V hotlines.
• List specific recommendations for State Title V programs to improve the quality of their Title V Hotline in meeting the needs of families with young children.

Keywords: Children's Health,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs The Commonwealth Fund
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I was paid by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs to conduct this study and write the paper.