Federal Programs & Youth Workers: Opportunities to Strengthen Our Workforce

Funds for youth development and after-school programs as a whole are scarce, and when resources are devoted to training or workforce development, they appear to be included as afterthoughts or minor priorities. The Next Generation Youth Work Coalition undertook a scan of a broad range of federal programs to determine how funds are being used to strengthen, support and retain youth workers. This report also starts a dialogue about increasing policy supports for this workforce that we trust to foster the positive development of our nation's young people.