My suggestion would be to begin by educating the parents and take it from there.
This is the most important aspect of Catholic education, and the most neglected. Parents pass on what THEY are taught. In the "olden days" the parents taught the kids at home BY EXAMPLE and correction. Nowadays, parents drive their kids over to the church, drop them off for CCD for an hour and a half, then come and pick them up. Sometimes, they take them to church on Sunday, if it is special, like Christmas, less often Easter or Pentecost. Then, they are FLOORED when their kids all head for the door, never to be seen in church again (at least not THIS one), to do their own thing.
The kids aren't dumb; they have seen the way their parents "live out their faith," and if it doesn't mean any more to the parents than the above, the kids certainly aren't going to stick around.
Well, when I have children, there will definitely be home religious instruction. Might have to teach them Latin too, I can tell I am going to be loved, lol. Pater Magister (obviously I will have to freshen up my own Latin, its been 18 months since I've looked at any).
"And these are the kids that actually make it to the end - and the Sacrament of Confirmation! There are countless others who drop out after First Communion."
From the eastern perspective, it's kinda hard to drop out in those few minutes between Baptism, Chrismation and first Eucharist.