In 2376 Reginald Barclay and the Pathfinder Project made direct contact with Voyager from Earth, opening regular communication with the ship.
Starfleet set up the Pathfinder Project to find a way to reach Voyager. In 2376 Reginald Barclay, working on the project, became convinced that the MIDAS array could open a small wormhole to carry a message. His superiors doubted him, and he became obsessed with a holodeck version of Voyager's crew, which led Deanna Troi to counsel him.
Barclay went ahead with the attempt and spoke with Voyager. Admiral Owen Paris was able to speak to his son. Monthly data exchanges followed, and the project later helped bring Voyager home.