There is no question about it. The after-school field is facing a major staffing shortage. The long-awaited arrival of public recognition and funding for after-school programs has spawned dozens of ambitious campaigns across the country seeking to create citywide programs for children and youth. This rapid scaling up has created a huge demand for qualified employees. At the same time, a strong economy in many cities has increased the competition for staff. For many initiatives, staying fully staffed has become a frustrating exercise of laboriously finding and developing the skills of staff members, only to see them leave for higher paying, full-time work shortly thereafter.