Cookie Preferences
We use cookies to improve your experience and for the following purposes:
Head Start is a federally funded early childhood program that helps eligible young children prepare for school while also supporting their health and family well-being.
It is more than preschool. Depending on the local program, Head Start services can include early learning, health and developmental screening, meals and nutrition support, oral health, mental health services, disability supports, parent engagement, and connections to community resources.
Head Start services are provided at no cost to enrolled families.
The Head Start system serves children from birth to school entry through different program types.
Head Start Preschool primarily serves children ages 3 until they enter kindergarten.
Early Head Start serves infants and toddlers under age 3. Some Early Head Start programs also serve pregnant women and expectant families.
The Head Start system also includes programs designed for specific communities, including:
Availability depends on where a family lives and which organizations receive federal Head Start funding in that area.
Head Start is built around a comprehensive-services model. Programs do not focus only on letters, numbers, and classroom activities.
Children participate in developmentally appropriate learning experiences that support language, literacy, early math, science, social-emotional development, physical development, problem-solving, and independence.
Programs use curricula and school-readiness goals, but there is no single national classroom curriculum used by every Head Start center.
Programs work with families to understand children's health needs and help them receive appropriate preventive care and follow-up. This may include developmental screening, hearing and vision, oral health, immunizations, medical follow-up, and mental health support.
Head Start does not replace a child's doctor, dentist, therapist, or other health professional.
Center-based programs generally provide meals and snacks that support children's nutritional needs.
Programs may help parents identify goals and connect with community resources related to housing, employment, education, health care, food assistance, transportation, and family well-being.
Head Start can include full-day care in some locations, but it is not simply another name for daycare.
Head Start has federal requirements related to eligibility, health, family engagement, school readiness, disability services, and comprehensive family support. Schedules vary: some programs operate full day, while others are part day or school year only.
Not necessarily. Public preschool is usually operated or funded through state or local education systems and can have different eligibility rules.
Head Start is federally funded and delivered by local grant recipients such as nonprofit organizations, school systems, community action agencies, Tribal organizations, local governments, and other qualified organizations.
Head Start services are free to enrolled families. Programs should not charge tuition for Head Start services.
Families may qualify because household income is at or below the federal poverty guideline, because they receive certain public assistance benefits, because the child is in foster care, or because the child or family is experiencing homelessness.
Programs also have limited flexibility to serve some families with incomes above the poverty guideline under federal rules. Age eligibility matters too.
Because the rules can be more nuanced than a single income cutoff, the local Head Start program makes the official eligibility determination.
Head Start applications are handled locally.
There is no single national application that automatically enrolls a child in every Head Start program.
No. Local programs have a limited number of federally funded enrollment slots. If a program has more eligible applicants than spaces, it uses selection procedures to prioritize children and families with the greatest need.
Useful questions include:
Head Start programs follow federal standards, but they are operated locally. Programs assess community needs and design services around the children and families they serve.
That means one program may offer full-day center-based services while another may provide shorter classroom days, home-based services, or other approved options.
No. Head Start Preschool primarily serves children ages 3 to school entry. Early Head Start serves infants and toddlers under age 3, and some programs serve expectant families.
Yes. Head Start services are provided at no cost to enrolled families.
Income is one major eligibility pathway, but it is not the only one. Children in foster care, children experiencing homelessness, and families receiving certain public assistance benefits may also qualify.
Some programs offer full-day services, but schedules vary. Ask the local program about hours and calendar.
Yes. Head Start programs welcome children with disabilities and have specific responsibilities for inclusive services and coordination with disability-service systems.