Tester Announces $2.3 Million for Crow Tribe’s Head Start Program

Vice-Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee Senator Jon Tester announced today that the Crow Tribe will receive more than $2 million for its Head Start Program.

"The immense benefits of early childhood education have been clearly established, time and time again," Tester, a former teacher, said. "This grant will go towards educating the next generation of Crow Tribe leaders, sowing the seeds for a strong and prosperous future."

The $2,328,861 comes from the Administration for Children and Families' American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Grants Program and will support early childhood education, health screenings and referrals, and family support services. Tester has been a strong supporter of Head Start advocating for increased funding for the program earlier this year and voting for an amendment that would have increased Head Start funding last year.

Tester has fought hard to improve Native education throughout the state, sponsoring 21 bills brought before the Indian Affairs Committee since the start of the 114th Congress. Last month, four of his bills were passed through the Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support. These bills included the NEST Act, which would create incentives to help recruit and retain quality educators at Native schools; the Tribal Early Childhood Act, which would increase access to early childhood education programs for tribal youth; and the SAFETY Act, which would fund the construction of new classrooms, housing, labs, and other educational facilities at tribal schools.

You can read more about Tester's work improving education in Indian Country HERE. [press release]