Granted just fifteen minutes per patient, physicians do not have enough time both to provide necessary medical care and to address critical determinants of families' health such as adequate food and housing. Social workers continually have excessive case loads and do not have the time to assist families blocked by bureaucratic terminology, language barriers and administrative problems.

Family Help Desk (FHD) uses a family's visit to the pediatrician as an opportunity to address the non-medical issues that affect child health. FHD volunteers connect families with referrals, information, and advocacy to assist them in accessing a wide range of services including: