Several leaders of domestic‑violence and survivor‑service organizations urged the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 22 to expand county funding and a county‑led coordinated community response (CCR) to strengthen services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Samantha Clark, identified as CEO of LAWS (domestic violence and sexual assault services), told the board that "Loudoun County has long been a leader in supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault" and described LAWS92 four decades of work with law enforcement, courts, schools, and community partners. Clark said LAWS provided services last year that included 91 adults and 88 children receiving 3,100 nights of emergency shelter, more than 4,000 hours of advocacy to 743 survivors, and 1,183 hotline calls answered.

Rebecca Hoey, legal services director at LAWS, and Diana Rodriguez, LAWS community services director and co‑facilitator of the county92s coordinated community response, emphasized that survivor support extends beyond crisis intervention. Hoey said survivors often need long‑term legal advocacy, housing assistance and therapy. Rodriguez urged the board to ensure a CCR model with "shared governance, collective accountability, and ensuring every decision is centered on survivors and community safety."

Anna Maria Lastra, a licensed professional counselor who partners with LAWS, noted additional barriers immigrant survivors face, including fear of deportation and language access challenges, and said community‑based organizations provide trusted, confidential access that some survivors avoid seeking from government agencies.

Speakers asked the county to consider proposed funding to "develop county‑led survivor services and coordination" and to leverage LAWS92 institutional knowledge rather than supplant it. Clark and other LAWS representatives said the organization is ready to partner with the county to design a model that strengthens referrals, incorporates offender intervention programs, and prioritizes survivor‑centered services.

No formal funding decision was made at the Feb. 22 public hearing; the session was the public comment portion of the FY2026 budget process. Several LAWS speakers urged the board to use the budget cycle to expand and formally resource CCR functions and to ensure survivor services remain accessible to those with limited English proficiency or immigration‑related concerns.

The comments underline stakeholder support for greater county investment and coordination in long‑term services for survivors and for policies that formally align county resources with existing nonprofit providers.