Alberta 211
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association urge the Province of Alberta to consider a provincial funding source that would provide for 211 services to all Albertans, including, but not limited to advocacy with the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to permit telephone service fees for 211 in a manner similar to 911.
WHEREAS 211 is an easy to remember three-digit telephone number that connects callers to a full range of social, health, community and government services;
WHEREAS 211 is an information service available to many Albertans and a provincial strategy exists to extend the service to all Albertans;
WHEREAS the strategy to extend services to all Albertans has been built on the engagement of communities and local volunteer centres; and
WHEREAS a provincial 211 service is expected to cost approximately $3M to start-up and ongoing costs of approximately $3.8M annually.
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Jun 29, 2011 - Alberta Municipal Affairs
211 Alberta currently covers approximately 70 per cent of the citizens of Alberta and supports recommendation 17 of Alberta’s Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force report: Establish a Family Source within the provincial government to provide a central source for information, resources and community connections.
While there are merits to expanding 211 Alberta to the rest of the province, there are significant costs as well. As a result, the Government of Alberta is looking further into this issue with a review to identifying opportunities to:
- Increase efficiencies and reduce duplication of effort;
- Eliminate unnecessary wait times;
- Manage the escalation of issues to crisis by providing the right supports at the right time;
- Increase collaboration and cost-sharing; and
- Slow cost increases and reduce costs.
This resolution expired in 2013. While ABmunis may have continued its advocacy or changes may have been made by the government, the following information is accurate as of September 2013.
AUMA accepts this response.