FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Anderson, NC CAP Director, eanderson@ncforum.org
RALEIGH, N.C. — Following Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s historic announcement that North Carolina will receive up to $645 million in the landmark child safety settlement with Meta, the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) strongly supports the Attorney General’s recommendation to invest these funds directly into the well-being of North Carolina’s youth. Specifically, NC CAP supports the call for the General Assembly to dedicate this funding to three critical areas: after-school and summer school programs, crisis helplines for struggling children, and accessible mental health supports.
Currently, 664,000 children in North Carolina are waiting for an afterschool program, and four out of five parents who want to enroll their child cannot, primarily due to cost and a lack of transportation. North Carolina is one of 22 states that does not have dedicated afterschool funding streams at the state level.
“Afterschool and summer programs give kids a safe place to unplug, explore, and grow. They are the ultimate real-world alternative to social media,” said Elizabeth Anderson, Senior Director of NC CAP and leader of the state’s Fund IRL NC campaign. “The vast majority of North Carolina parents recognize that these programs replace screen time with in-person interaction, helping youth build confidence, communication skills, and healthy relationships alongside caring mentors. Furthermore, parents agree that these programs prevent risky behaviors and exposure to negative influences both online and offline.”
“Attorney General Jackson’s recommendation acknowledges that the most effective antidote to digital harm is investing in real-life, community-based support,” Anderson continued. “Directing these settlement funds to close this access gap is a generational opportunity to protect our youth and support working families.”
Through the Fund IRL (In Real Life) NC campaign, launched in partnership with the national Fund IRL Coalition, NC CAP has been actively building a statewide coalition to secure sustainable, robust funding for afterschool and summer programs and complementary youth mental health services. Afterschool and Summer programs provide safe spaces, foster genuine peer connections, and offer the critical mental health and academic support that North Carolina’s youth desperately need.
NC CAP calls on the North Carolina General Assembly to ensure these funds are intentionally directed toward afterschool programs, summer programs, crisis helplines, and accessible mental health supports.
Reach out to speak with NC CAP’s Senior Director, Elizabeth Anderson, about the impact this funding could have on North Carolina’s afterschool ecosystem and the ongoing efforts of the Fund IRL NC coalition.
To learn more about the campaign or to join the coalition, visit Fund IRL NC: https://www.fundirlnc.org/
