The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) is a comprehensive, statewide network of afterschool stakeholders, including state agencies, state and local policy makers, afterschool providers and the private sector, that:

• Builds the capacity of the State and local communities to develop high quality afterschool programs for all N.C. children, especially for those at-risk for education failure.

• Builds support at the State and local level for expanding and sustaining afterschool programs throughout North Carolina.

Why NC CAP? Research and anecdotal evidence reveal that strong afterschool programs improve academic performance, nurture youth development, decrease juvenile violence and other high-risk behaviors, and meet the needs of working families. But many North Carolina children are without such opportunities, and an absence of strategic coordination can undermine even the best efforts to offer constructive afterschool programs to all children who want or need them. NC CAP is taking the lead and serving the afterschool community as a coordinator, convener and advocate to make high quality afterschool programs accessible to all children and youth in North Carolina.