211 is an easy to remember (2-1-1) information and referral service available 7 days a week, from 8 am to 6 pm, 365 days a year, which will eventually be open 24 hours a day.

With the help of statistics from calls and web frequency, 211 sheds a light to government officials and decision-makers on social needs and in determining missing resources that are needed.

• 211 service helps curb poverty and social exclusion, giving the people with non-urgent social needs rapid information on the social and community resources that will help them find solutions to move beyond their precarious situations.
• 211 is a free service, largely accessible especially for low-income people, seniors and newcomers.
• 211 is an ally of other N11 services:

211 is implemented in Québec since 2008 in the Capitale-Nationale and the Chaudière-Appalache regions, and since 2012 in the MRC Haute-Yamaska. These regions are served by the Centre d'information et de référence de la Capitale Nationale et de Chaudière-Appalaches.

In the Greater Montréal, 211 was launched in Laval in October 2016 and in the MRC de l'Assomption in April 2017. Since December 2016, the 211 Web service is available for Montréal. It is expected that 211 will be lauched before the end 2017 in all the Metropolitan Community of Montréal area. These regions are served by the Information and Referral Centre of Greater Montréal.

The 211 licence was reserved by the CRTC for Canadian information and referral centres in  2001.  InformCanada,  that regroups the Canadian information and referral centres, and United Way/ Centraide Canada received from the CRTC the authorization to reserve a 211 phone number for the Canadian information and referral centres.

211 is already implanted in 7 Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia. Pilot projects are also in progress in New Brunswick and Nunavut.

Finally, 211 is in operation in the United States since 1996 and today more than 246 million Americans (90% of the population), in 50 states, have access to its service.