{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carson-leger-fernandez-introduces-every-child-deserves-head-start-act", "Reps. Carson, Leger Fern\u00e1ndez Introduces Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act to Protect Early Learning Programs Amid Trump Shutdown", "2025-10-22", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Andr\u00e9 Carson", "C001072", "carson.house.gov", "carson", "https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 As the Trump shutdown continues to threaten childcare and early education across the nation, Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez (NM-03), and Reps. Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07) and Jahana Hayes (CT-05) introduced the Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act, a bill to permanently establish and protect the Office of Head Start and its 12 regional offices.\n\nThe bill, introduced during Head Start Awareness Month, reaffirms Congress\u2019s longstanding bipartisan commitment to the Head Start program. It also restores the regional support system dismantled earlier this year when the Trump Administration abruptly closed five regional offices serving nearly half of all Head Start grantees nationwide\n\n\u201cHead Start opened doors for me and millions of children like me,\u201d said Congresswoman Leger Fern\u00e1ndez. \u201cIt gave us an equal chance to dream and learn while nourishing our mind and body. The Trump Administration\u2019s attempt to dismantle Head Start is cruel and short-sighted. We must protect our kids from these partisan attacks. This bill will make sure that no president can gut the very programs that help families rise, and it protects the federal staff and administrators who make that possible.\u201d\n\nIf the shutdown persists, more than 100 Head Start programs scheduled to receive federal grants on November 1 could be forced to halt services\u2014impacting tens of thousands of children and families who rely on Head Start\u2019s essential services and care. The Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act would safeguard the program from future political interference and require congressional notice before any future reorganization or staffing reduction.\n\nThe bill is co-led by Reps. Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07) and Jahana Hayes (CT-05), both lifelong advocates for early childhood education and members of the Head Start to Congress Caucus.\n\n\u201cI know firsthand how Head Start can change the course of a child\u2019s life,\u201d said Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07). \u201cIn Indianapolis, where we were directly impacted by the closure of our regional office, families and grantees lost access to critical oversight and resources with little warning, destabilizing our whole system. That is unacceptable. Every child deserves the foundation to succeed, no matter their zip code or family\u2019s income. I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act to restore these offices, strengthen the program, and ensure children and families continue receiving the opportunities they deserve.\u201d\n\n\"Head Start is more than just an early childhood education program \u2014 it is an essential investment in our children, helping to close achievement gaps and ensuring every student can reach their full potential. The Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act makes the Office of Head Start permanent and restores the five regional offices whose closures harmed hundreds of thousands of children, including in the Fifth District,\u201d said Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05).\n\n\u201cAs a Head Start Director for 40 years and President of the New Mexico Head Start Association, I and HSANM are proud to endorse the Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act. This legislation affirms the vital role of Head Start and restores the regional support that our programs so deeply need,\u201d said Patricia Grovey Evans, President of New Mexico HeadStart Association. \u201cNew Mexico Head Start Programs deserve offices that understand our unique culture and community context and can walk with us as we navigate new federal regulations and initiatives. Rep. Leger Fernandez has always stood with our children and families, and this bill reflects her unwavering commitment to their success.\u201d\n\n\u201cNEA-New Mexico always supports giving every child a hand up and a strong start. That\u2019s why we proudly stand behind the Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act, which ensures our youngest learners have the foundation they need to thrive,\u201d said Bethany Jarrell, President, NEA-New Mexico.\n\nEndorsing organizations include:\n\nNational Education Association (NEA)\n\nNational Education Association\u2013New Mexico (NEA-NM)\n\nNational Education Association\u2013New Mexico Retired\n\nNew Mexico Head Start Association\n\nRead the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carson-leger-fernandez-introduces-every-child-deserves-head-start-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.585633959621191, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}