{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=dc02c697-70c1-49f0-9cc9-c28fb2b0f906", "Heitkamp Announces Significant Funding for Head Start Programs at Standing Rock & Spirit Lake", "2014-04-28", "2014", "2014-04", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced more than $2.5 million in federal funding for Head Start programs on North Dakotas Spirit Lake and Standing Rock reservations.\r\nThe funds support early childhood learning and development, which Heitkamp has long been a strong advocate for both on and off the reservations.\r\nStarting all of our children off at a young age with a strong education, like Head Start provides, will help set them on the right path forward. Thats why its so important that we invest in Head Start programs, particularly in Indian County, said Heitkamp. These funds will help the Head Start programs at Standing Rock and Spirit Lake help more children get the education they deserve.\r\nThe grants are distributed as follows:\r\n \r\nStanding Rock Sioux Tribe  $1,540,080\r\n \r\n \r\nCankdeska Cikana Community College at Spirit Lake Nation  $1,021,110\r\n \r\nThe funds will enable the Head Start programs to meet the educational needs of children enrolled in the programs, purchase necessary center and classroom supplies, and support the professional development of staff.\r\nHeitkamp is also working in the Senate to address many of the challenges Native children face, including low graduation rates. Heitkamps bipartisan bill to create a Commission on Native Children would look at many of these issues and seek to find ways to address them so Native children have every opportunity to succeed. The U.S. Secretary of Education would be part of the 11-member Commission. Additionally, the Commission would make recommendations to improve school attendance, performance, and graduation rates for Native children across all grade levels.\r\nHeitkamp has also backed legislation to preserve and protect Native American languages and culture through education programs in Indian Country. The bill would establish a grant program to support Native language immersion instruction programs, which have been shown to improve academic performance and attendance, and equip Native youth with the tools they need to be successful into the future.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=dc02c697-70c1-49f0-9cc9-c28fb2b0f906"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.493948046118021, "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"}