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Families can qualify for Head Start or Early Head Start in several ways. Income is important, but it is not the only path to eligibility.
A child or family may qualify because of household income, receipt of certain public assistance benefits, foster care, homelessness, age, or special eligibility rules for particular Head Start program types.
The local Head Start program makes the official eligibility determination.
Early Head Start generally serves infants and toddlers younger than age 3. Some programs also serve pregnant women and expectant families.
Head Start Preschool primarily serves children who are at least age 3, or who will turn 3 by the date used for public school eligibility in the local community, through school-entry age.
Because local school-entry dates vary, contact the program if your child is close to the cutoff.
Families with incomes at or below the federal poverty guideline are eligible for Head Start services, subject to age and program requirements.
The poverty guideline changes annually and depends on family size. Alaska and Hawaii have separate guideline amounts.
Families should let the program make the final determination because Head Start staff are responsible for verifying and documenting eligibility.
Current Head Start guidance identifies certain public assistance benefits that can establish eligibility regardless of income:
If your family receives one of these benefits, tell the program when you apply.
Children in foster care are eligible for Head Start regardless of the foster family's income. Eligibility does not necessarily guarantee an immediate opening.
Children and families who meet the applicable federal definition of homelessness are also eligible regardless of income.
Homelessness can include more situations than living in a shelter or outdoors. Some families temporarily staying with relatives, friends, or in motels because they lost housing may meet the definition.
Sometimes. Federal Head Start rules allow limited enrollment of some children from families with incomes above the poverty guideline.
Programs may serve a limited percentage of children above the poverty guideline and, under specified conditions, an additional limited group between 100% and 130% of the poverty line.
These rules do not mean every family below 130% of poverty has the same enrollment priority.
Eligibility means your child meets requirements to be considered for Head Start.
Selection determines which eligible children receive available spaces when a program has more applicants than funded slots.
Programs develop selection criteria based on community needs and federal requirements. Priority may be influenced by income, homelessness, foster care, disability, age, and other locally identified needs.
Children with disabilities are welcome in Head Start. A disability does not disqualify a child.
Head Start programs are required to ensure that at least 10% of funded enrollment opportunities are occupied by children with disabilities, and there is no maximum percentage preventing a program from serving more.
There is no general federal Head Start rule requiring every parent to work in order for a child to qualify.
Depending on the eligibility path, a program may ask for documents related to:
Apply anyway. Eligibility rules are more flexible than many families realize, and programs are trained to determine whether a family meets the requirements.
Families at or below the current federal poverty guideline meet the income eligibility standard, but several other eligibility pathways exist.
Yes. Current federal Head Start guidance recognizes SNAP receipt as a public-assistance pathway to eligibility.
No. A local program may have more eligible applicants than funded spaces.
Yes.
Yes, when the applicable federal homelessness definition is met.
Yes. Programs have limited authority to enroll some families above the poverty guideline, so it is worth contacting the local program.