ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Channel 9 heard the viewer complaints claiming the Department of Children and Families helpline was always busy. Tuesday, the agency installed dozens of new phone, and assigned more than a dozen extra workers to answer them.

Eyewitness News reported last week about a family who couldn't get help, because they couldn't get through the phone line for months. Since, Eyewitness News learned dozens of families have complained about the same problem.

All of the calls for Orange County, as well as parts of Seminole, Osceola and Volusia counties, are answered at the same location. Tuesday, they were making major changes to help the people who need it most.

Latasha Allen is seven months pregnant. She recently had emergency surgery and doctors told her to quit her job and stay off her feet to protect her baby. She's been calling DCF to get Medicaid and food stamps for the last month, but ended up with a busy tone or a disconnected tone.

Nearly a dozen other viewers contacted Channel 9 with the same problem. A local attorney told Eyewitness News she has 50 clients who were denied services from DCF because they couldn't get through the busy phone lines to complete a required interview

"They are not looking after the children and families, the families who need their help," said Allen told Eyewitness News.

Eyewitness News took the concerns to DCF last week and now it's making major changes

"We have more than doubled the number of staff taking those calls," Bill Bucher, DCF Director of Support Services, told Eyewitness News on Tuesday.

A phone company was installing more lines Tuesday and DCF will soon double the number of calls it can take at a time to 42.

Allen tried again Tuesday, but the phone rang for more than five minutes and no one picked up.

A case worker did call Allen on Tuesday afternoon after Eyewitness News passed along her information. She now has Medicaid and will know about her food stamps in a few weeks.

DCF told Eyewitness News over and over again Tuesday that tey want to help people who can't get through. If you've been denied services because of tied up phone lines, contact Channel 9 by phone (407-841-9000) or the contact page of our web site.