This brief explores how IDS data may be an important and cost-efficient resource for better understanding public service use among low-income Hispanics in the United States. This understanding could, in turn, inform policies and practices aimed at this population. This brief: 1. summarizes current information about the public service use patterns of low-income Hispanic families with young children, 2. describes IDS and their key features, 3. discusses how IDS may help us better understand public service use among low-income Hispanic families with young children, 4. provides examples of how IDS have been used to address important policy questions, and 5. offers guidance for researchers interested in using IDS to answer questions regarding low-income Hispanic families with young children. (author abstract)