Enrollment: Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Families

12/29/2022

Enrollment: Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Families

Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.
James Baldwin, American author, 1924-1987

Many programs saw decreases in enrollment through the pandemic. As programs look to recover enrollment rates, enrollment and marketing expert Julie Wassom has some concrete suggestions:

“What can you do to assure your family’s user experience not only retains them, but encourages them to refer you widely and to post positive reviews? It requires what I call ongoing ‘relationship marketing.’ In the wake of COVID-19, this is a three–pronged strategy, all of which is based on adjusting your business model to be even more customer-centric.”

Wassom’s three prongs include:

Learn why families disenrolled, and if they haven’t come back, ask why not, and address those issues.
Develop a “nurturing campaign” to engage families with what “makes you unique and exceptional, beyond quality program delivery.”
Invite satisfied families to share positive referrals and reviews.

For programs serving families experiencing adversities, a literature review from the Office of the Administration for Children and Families suggests, “Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment and building high quality relationships between families and staff are important for all families. Social networks may be especially useful for recruiting both families experiencing poverty and those experiencing homelessness. Staff training and professional development on the experience of homelessness and child welfare involvement likely support recruitment, selection, enrollment and retention (RSER) for these populations. Strong community partnerships also appear important for the RSER process with families experiencing homelessness, those involved in the foster care and child welfare systems, and those affected by substance use issues.”

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