When demand for prevention services is greater than the supply, families end up on waiting lists. Families may lose interest while they’re waiting, or they may not be ready to participate when services become available.

Contact families regularly through calls, texts, or emails to keep them engaged.

How to do this

Set a standard timeline for offering services. For example, you may determine that you should reach out to families within 1 to 3 business days. If it takes longer than that to offer services to a family, consider them to be on the waiting list.

Figure out what staffing and contact systems you need. For example, you can use automated updates for basic information and have staff contact them directly to build relationships. Prioritize your list so that families with greater need are more likely to get services first.

Decide how often to contact families. Ask families how often they want check-ins. If someone wants monthly contact, don't call them weekly. The length of time someone will likely wait (weeks versus months) will affect this decision. Calling once a week takes twice the resources as calling every other week, but you may decide families are best served with weekly check-ins.

Consider dedicated staff. This might need a full-time staff member. This can be a good role for a newer social worker who is still earning credits.

Keep contacts light but helpful. Contacts can be simple touchpoints. Consider whether you have some resources available for these families now, even if not the main services they're waiting for. The relationship you build while they wait can make them much more likely to engage later.

Track your data. Use wait list data to make a case for more prevention services or resources.

This strategy in action

Hennepin County, Minnesota has a dedicated employee who stays in touch with people on their wait list.