Youth Workers' Professional Development: The Importance of Youth Development Certificate Programs School-Age Child Care Credential Addition

School-age care and youth development programs are designed to meet young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual needs by providing safe places and enriching experiences outside of the school day. Therefore, school-age care and youth development workers are well-positioned to play an important role in the lives of children during their out-of-school activities. Professional development training of school-age care and youth development workers share several common themes, such as child development, multiculturalism, and safety. However, there are developmental issues and concerns (e.g., increasing independence in self-care, growing complexity in peer relationships) unique to children and youth in middle childhood that school-age care workers will need to know. This report presents a comprehensive review of professional development offerings for school-age care workers. Notably, this review yielded no nationally accepted credentials or certificates in school-age care or youth development. However, there are many offerings through various universities, colleges, and other organizations across the country to meet the diverse needs of school-age care workers and managers.