Many fathers will, though, voluntarily come forth , for example, after they find out about the employment services through, or by, community based organizations and advocates who they trust. Some noncustodial parents may be mandatorily referred to a program by the Child Support Enforcement Agency or by the court. WtW programs need to understand mandatory requirements for this population just as they do for mandatory TANF recipients. WtW programs should coordinate with the Food Stamps Employment and Training program to arrange for referrals. Once persons are in the program, strategies for keeping them in are similar regardless of whether they are mandatory or voluntary.
Research suggests that one key is making sure the services are client-oriented.
One key is to have short time intervals between appointments and components. Contact with a staff person, counselor, case manager, coach, must be frequent. This follow-up should be in addition to more traditional support services such as child care, transportation, crisis intervention and legal services. Ongoing follow-up and contact if and when they face failure on a job or in a program. Keep their hopes alive and let them know where they can come to get guidance and information.