October 3, 2025
From Pandemic Initiative to Permanent Support
Following a two-year sprint of grant-funded resourcefulness to support students experiencing homelessness in Loudoun County Public Schools, after-school programs and summer camps are now fully covered for eligible students through Parks, Recreation, and Community Services (PRCS) for the county. What started as a pandemic-era initiative partly supported by federal American Rescue Plan Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) funding has become a long-term county commitment: free after-school programming and summer camp for students whose families qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The Role of McKinney-Vento and ARP-HCY Funding
Under the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, every school division in Virginia has a McKinney-Vento liaison. “We realized how important it was becoming for our students,” said Holly Angle, who oversees support for students experiencing homelessness in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) as the division’s McKinney-Vento Specialist. “It gives kids time with friends, a place to do homework, and social-emotional learning, while it lets families work the hours they need.”
How After-School and Summer Programs Took Shape
When Angle stepped into her role, LCPS already had a line item in its ARP-HCY budget to partner with Loudoun County PRCS on after-school programming and summer camps for students experiencing homelessness. Loudoun County PRCS agreed to reduce program tuition to the 50% rate typically offered to families receiving free or reduced lunch, and ARP-HCY funds bridged the gap, covering transportation costs when necessary.
Funding Challenges and the Search for Sustainability
This arrangement was in place for about two years. As ARP-HCY funds dwindled, Angle faced a familiar sustainability issue. She explained, “We couldn’t pay for this with our regular subgrant because of the cost.” LCPS then collaborated with the Loudoun Education Foundation (LEF) to secure a United Way grant, which funded tuition for after-school and summer camp programs during the 2024-2025 school year. During that period, Angle and LEF leadership also began exploring longer-term solutions inside county government.
To communicate the impact of this program to the county’s Board of Supervisors, Angle collaborated with the LEF director, along with a county board member who was especially familiar with the barriers faced by high-needs students due to their experience as a special education teaching assistant in the division. In the spring of this year, after multiple proposals were presented, supervisors voted to utilize existing PRCS funds to fully cover tuition for after-school or summer programs for any student who receives free or reduced lunch, pending available slots. “It moved from a grant to an action item in the county’s budget,” Angle said. “As long as PRCS continues to operate with a surplus, this will continue.”
Impact on Students and Families
During the United Way grant year, support was provided to 10 McKinney-Vento students in after-school programs and 42 McKinney-Vento students in summer camps, with four weeks of camp funded per child. The numbers may appear modest, but competition for seats is steep countywide. “We’re competing against families who can easily pay,” Angle said. “Working within that reality, these spots are significant.” Angle hopes the number of available spots will grow over time for students facing homelessness in Loudoun.
“At the end of the day, that gave 42 children the opportunity to have a camp experience,” she said. “They’re learning, playing sports, doing STEM projects, getting a snack, and their parents get a breather. It brings them all a sense of normalcy.” Angle continued, “We see our students actually going to school more frequently.” With an after-school program that ends at 6 p.m., parents can work longer hours without worrying about scheduling and paying for childcare. While students who lack housing stability outside of school now have a chance to get the support they may need both academically and socially-emotionally, their parents also benefit by continuing to work and take care of their own needs.
Behind the Scenes – Effort and Care
Angle called this work “very rewarding,” recalling the spreadsheets, phone calls, and planning marathons required each spring to line up summer placements. “This was so worth it!” Angle reflected. Beyond the logistical somersaults required by Angle and her team to make this program a reality, it was their small touches, like providing store cards for snacks and water bottles, that ensured students had what they needed when they arrived at camp.
Thanks to the budget shift, the program is no longer tied to the uncertainty of short-term grants. For educators, this stability translates into peace of mind, as they now have a consistent resource to turn to when they see a student struggling. As Angle explained, “When I tell staff in schools, they get so excited. It’s bigger than just helping these kids — it lifts up the whole family.”